To follow up on our brilliant secretary of state’s comments on the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram jihadists in Nigeria, the U.N. has come out with its much expected, ever threatening, and always ignored sternly worded statement warning the Islamist militants that if they sold the girls, as their leader threatened, there is no statute of limitations. Take that!
"We warn the perpetrators that there is an absolute prohibition against slavery and sexual slavery in international law. These can under certain circumstances constitute crimes against humanity," U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news briefing in Geneva.
"That means anyone responsible can be arrested, charged, prosecuted, and jailed at any time in the future. So just because they think they are safe now, they won't necessarily be in two years, five years or 10 years time," he said.
He also urged Nigeria's federal and local authorities to work together to rescue the girls.
Much like Obama’s red line, a warning, from the United Nations of all organizations, about the ramifications of breaking international law means absolutely nothing to Boko Haram—zip, zero, zilch. After all, according to Boko Haram’s leader, Allah told commanded him to sell the girls.
Let us hope that international intelligence can help the Nigerian government find and ensure the release of the girls before it is too late.
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