Washington, D.C. - Today, Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) applauded the United Nations Security Council's decision to add the Nigerian terrorist groups, Boko Haram and Ansaru, to the al-Qa'ida Sanctions List. Senators Mikulski and Collins recently led a bipartisan letter, signed by all twenty women Senators, to President Obama requesting that the Administration redouble efforts to secure Boko Haram and Ansaru's addition to the List. The letter followed Boko Haram's taking responsibility for the kidnapping of nearly 300 school girls in Nigeria.
Including Boko Haram to the List would require all 193 U.N. Member States to apply three sanctions measures to the group, including a complete asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo. While the United States, Nigeria, and other countries have already imposed sanctions upon them, this action both brings greater international attention to the group and will compel others to take similar action.
"The decision of the United Nations Security Council to proceed with including Boko Haram to this List will further constrain the group and their ability to terrorize the people of northern Nigeria," said Senators Mikulski and Collins. "While this effort does not bring home the girls who have been kidnapped, it can hopefully help to prevent such reprehensible attacks in the future by limiting the group's resources, and we will continue to strongly support efforts to secure their safe rescue"
In addition, Senators Mikulski and Collins commended the Administration's decision to deploy 80 U.S. troops to Chad to assist the efforts of the Nigerian government.
Last week, Secretary of State John Kerry hosted the women Senators for dinner to discuss women's and children's issues, at which the mass abduction in Nigeria and possible U.S. policy options were point of focus. Senators Mikulski and Collins also led the Senate women in receiving a comprehensive briefing on the topic last Wednesday with senior officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and USAID.