被博科圣地绑架的尼日利亚女孩返回家园

AS IT IS 2016-10-15 21 Kidnapped Chibok Girls Released in Nigeria 被博科圣地绑架的尼日利亚女孩返回家园

Twenty-one schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram militant¹ group were freed this week after being held for more than two years.

The 21 were part of a group of nearly 300 girls taken by Boko Haram in April 2014 from the town of Chibok in northern Nigeria.

The release was negotiated between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. The deal was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government.

The 21 girls were taken to the capital, where they met Thursday with Nigerian Vice² President Yemi Osinbajo. He called the release “very exciting news” for the whole country.

Names of all the girls were to be released as soon as their families were contacted. Health information about the girls was not made public. However, at least one of the girls is reportedly pregnant.

The country’s Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the girls were freed after "painstaking³ negotiations⁴ and trust on both sides.”

Nigerian officials said they planned to hold more talks with Boko Haram about the release of more captured girls.

Dozens of the kidnapped girls have been able to escape. The 21 released this week were the first to be rescued as a result of government action.

Boko Haram has led attacks on schools as part of its insurgency⁵. The extremist group has been fighting for seven years to establish an Islamic government in northern Nigeria.

Boko Haram is blamed for the deaths of at least 20,000 people since 2009. More than 2.7 million people have also been displaced in the fighting.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has repeatedly promised to rescue the kidnapped girls and crush Boko Haram.

Last week, Nigeria’s military carried out a number of airstrikes against the group. The offensive took place in the Sambisa forest, a stronghold of Boko Haram, which last year pledged its loyalty⁶ to Islamic State.

Words in This Story

facilitate – v. to make something possible or easier

painstaking – v. done with a lot of thought and care

insurgency – n. armed revolt or uprising attempting to take control of government

pledge – v. to formally promise to give or do?

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 painstaking   

adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的

参考例句：

• She is not very clever but she is painstaking.她并不很聪明，但肯下苦功夫。
• Through years of our painstaking efforts,we have at last achieved what we have today.大家经过多少年的努力，才取得今天的成绩。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

6 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。