The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on
Monday said it was not involved in the negotiation that led to the release of
82 Chibok schoolgirls after three years in Boko Haram captivity.
Aleksandra Mosimann, ICRC’s communication coordinator,
disclosed this in an interview with NAN in Abuja.
Mosimann said ICRC acted as a neutral intermediary based on
the agreement of the two parties involved as specified in its mandate.
“We were not involved in the negotiation for their release,
as negotiations often imply a political process which is contrary to the
political and neutral nature of ICRC work,” she said.
“I can confirm that in the early hours of Sunday May 7, the
ICRC only transferred 82 Chibok girls from the armed opposition to the
government of Nigeria.
“We transferred the girls with the agreement of both parties
involved.
“This however means the girls were handed over to us by the
armed opposition group that had held them and we handed them over to the
military.”
Mosimann also recalled that in October 2016, ICRC
transferred 21 Chibok girls and a baby released from armed opposition to
Nigerian authorities, but was not part of the negotiation that led to their
release.
She said the ICRC role of a neutral intermediary was widely
recognised worldwide, adding that the organisation had performed such roles in
other countries such as Colombia and Sudan, among others.
“The neutral intermediary by ICRC is an indication of the
trust that parties to the conflict place on us,’’ Mosimann said.
(Daily Post)
