"I abducted your girls"- Boko - Haram's Abu Shekau claims responsibility for chibok girls.
According to international newswire Reuters, the UN reminds Boko Haram that selling the girls would be slavery, prohibited by international law.
Speaking at a news briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesman, Rupert Colville said, “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.
“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.”
Colville, saying that the girls could be exposed to “continuous physical, psychological, economic and sexual violence” and that forced marriage could have a “devastating” impact on victims, warned that any buyers would be liable too.
“The power differentials between girls and their ‘spouses’ are likely to undermine all autonomy, all freedom of will and expression of the girls. The situation they will be in will be tantamount to slavery, or slavery-like practices within the so-called marriage,” he said.
There was a subtle for the military too, this time from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who wrote President Goodluck Jonathan on April 28, saying that in sparing no efforts to bring back the girls, the military must respect the rights of others.
“Any rescue attempt must be made in line with international human rights standards,” Pillay said, noting previous “allegations of excessive use of force by the Nigerian military in anti-Boko Haram operations".
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