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Nigeria: Govt and Boko Haram begin mediated talks
“The difficulty is: who do they actually represent? Boko Haram is a big label for many different command groups. Are they all being represented at these talks or just some of them?” said Peter Sharwood-Smith of security consultants Drum Cussac.
“It’s just really hard to know who’s who … and if these talks are going to achieve much.”
Shekau is believed to be in command of units carrying out the majority of attacks, most of which occur in the northeast.
“Even though dialogue is going on with just one faction of the group, it looks like the most high profile one,” a foreign diplomat specialising in security in northern Nigeria told Reuters.
“Even some sort of peace deal would ease the pressure and allow the military to mop up more of the breakaway groups.”
