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Nigeria abductions: Michelle Obama 'outraged'
US First Lady Michelle Obama said her family was "outraged and heartbroken"
US
First Lady Michelle Obama has said the mass kidnap of Nigerian
schoolgirls is part of a wider pattern of threats and intimidation
facing girls around the world who pursue an education.She
said she and her husband Barack Obama were "outraged and heartbroken"
over the abduction on 14 April of more than 200 girls from their
school. Mrs Obama, who was
speaking ahead of Mother's Day in the US on Sunday, said the girls
reminded her and her husband of their own daughters.
Michelle Obama has been actively campaigning for the release of the girls
Western help
"What happened in
Nigeria was not an isolated incident. It's a story we see every day as
girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions," she
said.
She cited the Pakistani schoolgirl and campaigner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot and wounded by the Taliban for speaking out for girls' education.
"The courage and hope embodied by Malala and girls like her around the world should serve as a call to action," Mrs Obama said.
It is unusual for a US first lady to make outspoken foreign policy remarks, but Mrs Obama has campaigned for the girls' release.
Michelle Obama has often
appeared alongside her husband during the weekly address, but this is
the first time she has delivered the speech alone.
Earlier this week, she tweeted a picture of herself in the White House holding a sign with the message "#BringBackOurGirls".
The UN Security Council
expressed outrage over the abductions, saying it would consider
"appropriate measures" against Boko Haram. The US is seeking to have UN
sanctions imposed on the group.
Michelle Obama has been actively campaigning for the release of the girls
US and British experts are in Nigeria to assist with rescue efforts.
A senior US official said Washington was also considering a Nigerian request for surveillance aircraft.
British High Commissioner Andrew Pocock said drones could help gather intelligence but urged caution.
He told the BBC's Today programme: "The eye in the sky, even if it were able to be focused on the spot, isn't a panacea."
Traditional hunters
armed with bows and arrows and old-fashioned shotguns are ready to enter
the forest where the girls are thought to be held, local officials in
Borno state have told the BBC's Mark Doyle.
They say 400 to 500 men have gathered but their departure is not imminent - they still hope the army will step up its efforts.
Our correspondent says it is a sign of Nigerians' frustration with the lack of progress in the search.
Nigerian army spokesman
Major General Chris Olukolade told the BBC the allegations of a lack of
action were being made in order to discredit the military and there was
no truth in them.
"This is not the first
time we're hearing of hunters wanting to go into the forest. The
military has always carefully utilised the support and understanding of
locals ... and others who have vital knowledge and information that
could enhance counter terrorism operations," he said.
Boko Haram has admitted capturing the girls, saying they should not have been in school and should get married instead.
Boko Haram, whose name
means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language, began its
insurgency in Borno state in 2009.
At least 1,200 people are estimated to have died in the violence this year alone.
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