South Africa’s fiery (some say eccentric) youth leader
and federal lawmaker, Julius Malema, has launched a blistering attack on
President Goodluck Jonathan over his handling of the massacre in Baga, Borno
State, describing the Nigerian president as “irresponsible” and suggesting South
African intervention against the extremist Boko Haram sect.
PREMIUM TIMES reports Mr. Malema, who leads the Economic Freedom Fighters
Party, criticized Mr. Jonathan for rushing out public condemnations of the
terrorist attack on a newspaper in France when he has remained silent until
date on the bloodbath in Baga, a troubled town in his own country.
The youth leader said the South African National
Assembly will consider a motion on a possible intervention in the bloody
campaign by Boko Haram that has claimed thousands of lives and has worsened in
the last weeks.
 |
|
Julius
Malema Member of South African Parliament (Photo: Aljazeera)
|
Boko Haram seized Baga, a fishing community on the
northern tip of Borno State by Lake Chad, sacking the military base there and
killing soldiers and hundreds of civilians.
Rights group, Amnesty International, said at least
2,000 people were killed in the attack, and said the carnage is the worst
attack since Boko Haram began a bloody campaign targeting civilians and
government officials in 2009.
On Tuesday, after over a week of silence, the Nigerian
military said about 150 people died in the attack, including Boko Haram
militants, rejecting the figure provided by Amnesty International.
The call by the military came barely 24 hours after a
spokesperson said the casualty figures could not be “credibly determined”.
Mr. Jonathan, who has been on the campaign trail ahead
of the February 14 presidential elections, has yet to comment on the attack
till date.
But the president was one of the first world leaders
to issue a statement condemning the killing of 12 journalists and police
officers in Paris, by Al Qaeda-linked terrorists.
While the president has not condemned the Baga attack,
his cabinet members too have not commented on the incident.
Yet, like the president, Finance minister, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, also tweeted messages of solidarity with the French people,
condemning the attack on Charlie Hebdo.
Mr. Malema, who had previously served as the president
of African National Congress Youth League, said the action of the Nigerian
president had demonstrated “irresponsible leadership”.
Speaking at a press briefing, Mr. Malema mocked Mr.
Jonathan using his first name, Goodluck.
“Eh Goodlook, or Goodluck or whatever his name is or
badluck I don’t know …He is quick to release statement about the killing in
Paris; but don’t (doesn’t) say anything about the killings in his own country.
That’s an irresponsible leadership,” Mr. Malema said.
“We are really saddened by what is happening in
Nigeria. It is highly disturbing.”
“And we need South African Government to intervene and
we will be raising the matter in the Parliament.
“We will make the
Parliament to debate it as an urgent matter and pass the resolution for South
African intervention in Nigeria,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment