In Nigeria, Lula condemns Boko Haram terrorism: “these people must be brought to trial and made to pay for kidnapping children”

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaking on Thursday (May 8) in Abuja, Nigeria, condemned the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian  schoolgirls by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

To download high-resolution photographs, visit: Picasa do Instituto Lula.

Lula was in the capital of the country to participate in the World Economic Forum for Africa.   In an audience with President Goodluck Jonathan, Lula conveyed his solidarity and that of the Brazilian people with the Nigerian people, who are facing the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls by the terrorist group Boko Haram.  At the end of the meeting, Lula placed himself at the disposition of President Goodluck Jonathan to help in any way possible in this case.

At the meeting of the World Economic Forum for Africa, where he was interviewed by Guinean Carlos Lopes, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Lula spoke of the kidnapping and about terrorism in Africa:

“It is important for us to talk about where this terrorism originated.  Because after the Arab Spring, the War in Iraq and the War in Libia and of Kadafi, many people were armed. They continue to be armed and at large. In other words they are soldiers without a general to lead them.  They are well-armed people carrying out terrorist acts all over the world.  I believe that we must condemn them, because the kidnapping of children to create political pressure is abominable. These people do not deserve to be pardoned, not by God, not by Allah, neither mine nor yours.  Much less by governments.  They must be tried and made to pay the price for kidnapping a child. Kidnapping an adult is bad enough.  Kidnapping children and threatening to sell them into prostitution is three times as bad.  But now we have to be careful that this in not used against Africa, because everything that happens in Africa is magnified and this creates distrust. We need to remember that the majority of countries in Africa won their independence in the 1960s.  Afterwards, many countries suffered from civil wars, often more bloody and violent than the wars for independence.  Africa has had a very short time to learn.  And what we need to do is to show he World that there are many countries in Africa where democracy is truly taking root.

Watch the video of Lula’s statement on terrorism in Nigeria: