The UN added Boko Haram (a.k.a. Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad) to its list of al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups, stating that it is an affiliate of both al Qaeda and its north African offshoot, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The designation noted that Boko Haram is also associated with Ansaru (a.k.a. Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan). The UN said Boko Haram members have trained with AQIM, fought in Mali, conduct attacks and kidnappings in Nigeria and Cameroon, and operate also in Chad and Niger. France vowed to treat Boko Haram like al Qaeda. Boko Haram killed 29 people in an attack on another Borno state village yesterday. A US State Department official claimed that corruption is hindering the Nigerian military’s fight against the group.
