Around 2,000 people were reportedly killed in a massacre last week in what is believed to be Boko Haram's deadliest attack in the country till date.
While around 3.7 million people marched along with the world leaders to show solidarity with the 17 victims of the Paris attacks, the tragedy unfolding in Nigeria was largely muted in news coverage.
Around 2,000 people were reportedly killed in a massacre last week in what is believed to be Boko Haram's deadliest attack in the country till date. But the incident did not see the same level of international solidarity for the victims and determination against the religious extremism destroying the country. So why has the world not expressed the same kind of support for Nigeria? The response alluded to the fact that the lives in the oriental world still matter very little.
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A file photo taken on April 21, 2013 shows children walking outside a charred house in the remote northeast town of Baga, Borno State, after two days of clashes between officers of the Joint Task Force and members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram. AFP
Not just the world, it seems like even Nigeria's leaders are attempting to sideline the Boko Haram massacre which has almost eradicated the city of Baga. Along with other world leaders, the President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan also issued a strong statement condemning the Islamist attacks against the satirical magazine in France. However, at the same time he has been downplaying Nigeria's misery. Jonathan is up for re-election next month and seems to be hushing the incident to appear more in control of the situation in the country. He has also been criticised for celebrating and dancing on his niece Ine’s wedding in the aftermath of the Baga massacre.
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A poster of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan (R) and presidential candidate of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) is displayed side by side with leading opposition All Progressive Congress presidential candidate Mohammadu Buhari along the highway in Lagos on January 14, 2015. Nigerians go to the polls in a month's time to elect a new president against a backdrop of a raging Boko Haram insurgency, economic troubles and persistent concerns over rampant corruption. AFP PHOTO
Reports state that in 2014 around 27 Nigerians died each day from Boko Haram related violence. The kidnappings of the school girls, which once held the attention of the world, still continue. However, the #BringBackOurGirls campaign seems to have slipped from people’s minds now. The attacks in Nigeria have garnered little reaction from world leaders, but after the media noted this, the first march for Baga victims was organised in Paris. Even social media has attempted to show more support with the slogan “I am Baga”, a play on France’s “I am Charlie.
A hand out satellite image made available by Amnesty International is believed to show the scale of last week’s attack in north-eastern Nigeria by Boko Haram Islamist militants. Before and after infrared (IR) images taken on January 2, 2015 (Top) and January 7 (bottom) shows the village of Doron Baga - also known as Doro Gowon- with densely packed structures and tree cover (seen in red) before the village was razed by Boko Haram on January 7. The attacks left over 3,700 structures damaged or completely destroyed. Other nearby towns and villages were also attacked over this period. AFP PHOTO
Will the world continue to be deaf to the subaltern even if it screams?
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