A little over a month after the mass kidnapping of over 270 schoolgirls in Nigeria by the Boko Haram terrorist group, the Nigerian government announced that officials have found the girls.
Unfortunately for the girls’ parents, the same officials have refused to disclose their exact location for security reasons.
“The good news for the parents of the girls is that we know where they are, but we cannot tell you,” says Air Marshal Alex Badeh, Nigeria’s chief of defense staff.
The Nigerian military has ruled out the use of force to rescue the girls, fearing that such an operation would lead to heavy casualties. Demonstrations have sprung up in Abuja, the country’s capital, as citizens call for the government to take an aggressive stance.
“We can’t go and kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back,” says Badeh, who spoke to demonstrators and journalists about the complexity of taking military action.
Talks have reportedly taken place between Nigeria’s government and Boko Haram to negotiate the girls’ return.
Shortly before Nigeria discovered the girls’ location, it was revealed that the country’s government had recently been close to securing a deal with Boko Haram. But officials called off the agreement, which would have released some of the girls in exchange for imprisoned Islamist militants held by the government.
The girls were forcibly taken from their school on April 14 when Boko Haram militants marched into their village. It is believed that many of the girls were taken out of Nigeria and into neighboring countries, complicating rescue efforts.
The U.S. has expressed its doubts about the Nigerian government’s ability to resolve the situation and secure the schoolgirls’ release. An unmanned drone has been deployed over Nigeria to aid in operations, and at least 80 U.S. military personnel were sent to Chad, where some of the girls are thought to be held.