Kristen Tucker
February 25, 2013
French Family Abducted by Islamist Militants
On Tuesday, a French family of seven was abducted as they were leaving a national park in Cameroon.
The family, four children and their mother, father, and uncle, was departing from the Dabanga area in Cameroon after visiting the Waza National Park, a popular holiday location for French nationals. The park is located in northern Cameroon near the borders of Nigeria and Chad. This area is popular with criminal and terrorist groups because the porous borders. On their way from the park, they were intercepted by a group of armed men on motorbikes. French authorities now believe that Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group, is responsible for the abduction.
Boko Haram has been waging war against the Christian and moderate Islamic population for three years. Its stance against Westerners and their close proximity to the area—they operate mainly in Nigeria—make the group a prime suspect for the abduction. These factors also lead the general public to believe that the abduction is in retaliation to France’s presence in Mali to help subdue the extremist groups that are currently vying for power.
This recent attack has the public concerned about the safety of Westerners in Northern Africa. Many countries in Western Europe, like France, have had colonial ties with many countries in Northern Africa, so travel between the two are very common (most from Europe to Africa). However, with the increasing amount of violent activity of Islamic extremist group against Christians has many concerned that Westerners have become targets for these militant groups and criminal gangs. There are currently eight other Europeans, making a total of 15, being held by al Quaeda-affiliated groups.
Despite these connections, President Hollande of France denies that the family’s capture has anything to with the nation’s involvement in Mali.
Western Europe 