WASHINGTON —
Representatives of the women’s movement and youth groups on Monday held a peace and solidarity gathering at the Embassy of Nigeria in Harare to honor the missing girls, adding their voices to the "Bring Our Girls Back Home' campaign.
Prayers were made for the girls with director Nyari Mashayamombe of the Tag-A-Life International Trust presenting a petition to Ambassador Mamman Nuhu urging the Nigerian government to do more in searching for the girls.
Ambassador Nuhu promised the women that their letter would have reached Nigeria before the end of the day.
The Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, on Monday released a video it claims are of the young girls it kidnapped last month from schools in northern Nigeria.
The 17-minute video obtained Monday by a French News Agency purports to show about 130 of the girls dressed in black and gray full-length hijabs sitting in an undisclosed rural area, reciting Muslim scriptures and holding their hands for prayers.
Ambassador Nuhu promised the women that their letter would have reached Nigeria before the end of the day
In the video, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, claims the girls have been "liberated" by becoming Muslims. He says the girls will not be released until its imprisoned fighters are freed in Nigeria.
Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 girls from the northeastern town of Chibok. More than 200 remain missing. The militants have threatened to sell the girls on the human trafficking market.
Meanwhile, the United States and several other countries have sent intelligence and military experts to Nigeria to help look for the girls.
U.S. defense secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday said the country would "bring to bear every asset we can possibly use to help the Nigerian government." China has also pledged its support. Many, in the social media, have, however been questioning why the African countries have not been quick to offer assistance.
French president Francois Hollande on Sunday called for a summit of African leaders later this week in Paris to discuss how to deal with Boko Haram.
Boko Haram is blamed for thousands of deaths in bombing and shooting attacks during the past five years. The militants say they are fighting to establish a strict Islamic state in Muslim-majority northern Nigeria.
