LoadingOur prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families. It's time to #BringBackOurGirls. -mo
Well, it's about time. The 200 Nigerian schoolgirls, held captive since April by Islamist militant Boko Haram, are finally coming home.
The Nigerian government reached a tentative agreement with the Islamist terror group to release the girls, the country's defense minister announced Friday. Boko Haram has yet to make a statement, but according to a Nigerian official, commitment on both sides of the truce "appears to be genuine."
Boko Haram has been waging a war with Nigeria's military since 2009. The truce will also include a ceasefire, officials confirmed.
The conflict received international attention after the group abducted over 200 school girls in April, and the Nigerian government came under fire for a perceived lack of effort to free the girls. As part of the global outcry, the Bring Back Our Girls campaign was born and endorsed by celebrities and public figures like Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Michelle Obama, and many others.
There is still no timetable for the girls' release. "They've assured us they have the girls and they will release them," said Nigerian presidential aide Hassan Tukur to the BBC. "I am cautiously optimistic." (BBC)