英闻天下——105 2012 Review: Counterterrorism in Africa

 　　Africa, which has long been mired¹ in poverty and hunger, is now beginning to deal with more problems connected to terrorism.

 

　　As such, today's key words are "Counterterrorism in Africa."

 

　　CRI's Zhou Jingnan has more.

 

　　"This is the building of the Catholic church, the corner completely destroyed by the car bomb, the roof also blown open, you can see sheets of the corrugated² iron…"

 

　　This is BBC's Will Ross reporting from the site of a blast at a Catholic church in northern Nigeria which was carried out by the Islamist militant³ group Boko Haram in October.

 

　　This suicide bombing is just one of many similar assaults against the Catholic miniorty in Nigeria's Muslim-populated north.

 

　　Over a thousand people have been killed in attacks by Boko Haram since 2011.

 

　　With a name loosely translated as "western education is forbidden", Boko Haram began as a religious teaching organization trying to have strict Sharia law introduced throughout Nigeria in 2002.

 

　　Initially⁴ a peaceful organization, the group turned to violence in 2009 by utilizing⁵ gunmen on motorbikes to kill police and politicians.

 

　　The University of Oxford's professor of African politics, David Anderson, says the root cause of Boko Haram's existence is more than religion.

 

　　"Boko Haram is made of a religious belief, yes, but it's also strongly political. In the origins of the movement, tried to create it as a group that could be used to show dissent⁶ against the government. So the root of Boko Haram's origin is the sense that the Nigerian state is not legitimate⁷, that the people don't believe in it. "

 

　　The Nigerian government has been cracking down on Boko Haram over the past three years, but has so far had little luck in keeping the group in check.

 

　　While most politicians in Nigeria are downplaying negotiations⁸ as an option, a growing minority is suggesting dialogue may be the only way forward.

 

　　Human rights activist⁹ Shehu Sani:

 

　　"I believe there is a need to have a power country intervention¹⁰, an Islamic country on-behalf like Qatar, Turkey or Saudi Arabia, need to provide a platform that will bring in representatives of the government and Boko Haram to the table. So that was a …this issue can come to an end. "

 

　　In eastern Africa, Somalia is slowly beginning to see the restoration of stability.

 

　　The al-Qaeda linked militant group al-Shebab has been pushed out of all of the main towns they once controlled in the southern and central parts of the country.

 

　　The African Union troops, along with the government forces, have forced al-Shebab to leave several of its former strategic strongholds, including the vital port of Kismayo.

 

　　At the same time, Somali piracy¹¹ off the Horn of Africa has fallen to a three-year low in 2012 because of coordination¹² by international navies, including China, on top of the use of armed security guards by shipping¹³ companies.

 

　　70 attacks were reported by ships in the first nine months of the year 2012, compared with almost 200 incidents during the same period in 2011.

 

　　The formation of a new government in Somalia in September has also breathed hope into the country, which was lawless for nearly 2-decades following a brutal¹⁴ civil war that left the country without a functioning national government.

 

　　However, not all are optimistic about the new prospects¹⁵ for Somalia.

 

　　Antoine Lokongo is a former London-based journalist from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

　　"That is just a caretaker government, which will not solve the problem as such, you know, you are just driving al-Shebab underground, and the pirates they will not give up. Why? Because what is needed in Somalia is a political solution, not a military solution."

 

　　With Nigeria still facing frequent military attacks by Boko Haram, and Al Shebab remaining a potent¹⁶ threat to the government, political solutions and mediation¹⁷ do seem to be in urgent need in the terrorism-troubled parts of Africa.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Zhou Jingnan.

1 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 corrugated   

adj.波纹的；缩成皱纹的；波纹面的；波纹状的v.（使某物）起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• a corrugated iron roof 波纹铁屋顶
• His brow corrugated with the effort of thinking. 他皱着眉头用心地思考。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 utilizing   

v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Utilizing an assembler to produce a machine-language program. 用汇编程序产生机器语言的过程。 来自辞典例句
• The study and use of devices utilizing properties of materials near absolute zero in temperature. 对材料在接近绝对零度时的特性进行研究和利用的学科。 来自辞典例句

6 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

7 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

8 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

11 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

12 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

13 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

14 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

15 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

16 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

17 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。