By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, May 22 -- On #BringBackOurGirls, it took the UN a while to get involved but on May 22 Boko Haram was added to the UN's Al Qaeda sanctions list (video here) and envoy to Nigeria Said Djinnit held a press conference.
Inner City Press asked Djinnit about the US Obama administration deploying 80 airmen and reportedly a Predator drone to Chad: is the UN even trying to play a coordinating role?
Djinnit said the UN is trying, but it is up to Nigeria. (One might ask, then why is the US deploying to Chad?) He spoke about providing psychological services afterward.
Later in the afternoon the Al Qaeda sanctions committee met in Conference Room 7 of the UN's North Lawn building. Inner City Press went; a representative of Nigeria said no one had “broken silence” on its request to put Boko Haram on the list. But committee chair Gary Quinlan, on his way in, said he would speak after the meeting.
When this happened, Inner City Press video here, Quinlan confirmed the listing, cited an asset freeze, and said it is a beginning. Only the day before the US State Department told Congress that Boko Haram has no bank account. Quinlan to his credit took questions, but three from the same media, a set-up.
At the Djinnit press conference there was similar monopolization: the first question was given to the president of UNCA, now known as the UN's Censorship Alliance, who proceeded to ask three questions. This made it so others couldn't even ask one question. And all to what end? Watch this site.
