Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini is seeking political action by the European Union to support the efforts to obtain the release of the abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria. “What strikes you most about the abduction of 280 schoolgirls from a boarding school in northern Nigeria in mid-April is the kidnappers’ determination to stand in the way of a different future for the country.
“Once again, young women who were trying, through education, to change their destiny and that of their country have been targeted”, declared the Minister. “Malala Yousufzai has rightly called them ‘sisters’ because, like her, they defended the right to create an independent future – in spite of the threats.
“So the international community must take action, as Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has requested. For this reason, at the next Foreign Affairs Council I’ll ask the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, and my EU colleagues to put in place a strong political initiative to support the measures being taken to free the girls”, she concluded.
