The United Nations imposed sanctions on Boko Haram Thursday, blacklisting it as an Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization as protesters stepped up demands on Nigeria to release 200 kidnapped schoolgirls.
The terror designation, immediately welcomed by the United States, subjects Boko Haram to an arms embargo and asset freeze, though it remains unclear what practical impact it will have.
“Boko Haram are now listed on the United Nations´ Al-Qaeda sanctions list,” said Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan, chair of the Al-Qaeda sanctions committee. Quinlan also said there was “very clear evidence” that Boko Haram had trained extensively with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, particularly on developing bombs.
“We will work to try and make sure that anyone providing material assistance to Boko Haram, whether funding or arms, will in effect be stopped,” he told reporters in New York.
The group, whose name loosely translates as “Western Education is forbidden) has recently escalated its campaign of attacks that have left thousands dead since 2009.
