US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki says the
move is
"an important step"
|
The US has designated Nigeria's Boko
Haram and Ansaru militant groups as foreign terrorist organisations.
The state department described the
move as "an important" step to help Nigeria "root out violent
extremism".
It means US regulatory agencies are
instructed to block business and financial transactions with the groups.
Boko Haram wants to impose Islamic
law in northern Nigeria, and has been blamed for thousands of deaths. Ansaru is
seen as an off-shoot of Boko Haram.
Boko Haram began its insurgency in
2009, and targets both the military and civilians, including schools, and
frequently clashes with the Nigerian armed forces.
Ansaru was formed in January 2012,
though it rose to prominence only about six months later through the release of
a video in which it vowed to attack Westerners in defence of Muslims worldwide.
The group has proved to be a
formidable threat during its short existence, using dynamite to penetrate
heavily-fortified compounds and taking foreigners hostage.
Atrocities claim
In a statement, the US state
department said Wednesday's "designations are an important and appropriate
step".
But it stressed that this was
"only one tool in what must be a comprehensive approach by the Nigerian
government to counter these groups".
The decision means that it is now a
crime under US law to provide material support to the two groups.
Boko Haram was earlier seen as an
organisation which only posed a domestic threat - one reason why the US has not
previously designated it as a terrorist organisation, the BBC's Will Ross in
Lagos reports.
But during the last three years - as
its attacks have intensified - there have also been signs of a more
international agenda, our correspondent says.
This included the 2011 raid on the UN
building in the capital, Abuja, and also reports that Boko Haram has
established links with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Al Shabab in
Somalia.
The group has several sources of
funding - including bank lootings and ransom payments - which are unlikely to
be affected by the US decision, our correspondent adds.
Nigeria's government said in June
that Boko Haram and Ansaru were terrorist organisations, warning that anyone
who helped them would face a minimum prison sentence of 20 years.
There have been allegations that some
Nigerian politicians have supported Boko Haram.
There is as yet no evidence to
suggest the ongoing Nigerian military campaign is succeeding against the group.
Civilians in the country's north-east
are killed by the group every week, and the army is frequently accused of
carrying out human rights atrocities there, our correspondent says.
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