On May 21, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing, “Boko Haram: The Growing Threat to School Girls, Nigeria, and Beyond.” The House and Senate recently approved legislation condemning Boko Haram for abducting schoolgirls in Nigeria (see The Source, 5/9/14); the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a similar hearing on May 15 (see The Source, 5/16/14).
The Honorable Sarah Sewell, undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, State Department, said, “Peace and security in Nigeria is one of our highest foreign policy priorities in Africa. The tragedy of this kidnapping has rightfully focused our attention on the need to return these girls to their families, and on Boko Haram’s increasingly brazen assaults on youth seeking education. Ensuring that girls and boys alike have the opportunity to learn is essential to ensuring that all of Nigeria’s people contribute to, and benefit from, its economic prosperity. As the First Lady [Michelle Obama] recently observed, stories like those of the kidnapped girls – and others who have risked their lives to pursue an education – should serve as a call to action to help the millions of girls worldwide who are not in school.”
Amanda Dory, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for African Affairs, Department of Defense, also testified.
