The Political Underlining Cause and Ideology of Sexual Gender Based Violence: #Bringbackourgirls

The Accra Report is focused on keeping global attention on the #bringbackourgirls campaign, and with that in mind we continue to explore the harrowing element of sexual gender based violence (SGBV) that females in conflict regions are exposed to.
There are sections of Nigeria’s citizenry who believe that the Boko Haram terrorist group is a product of a well orchestrated political machination by some Nigerian government officials to ensure that a preserve of politicians retain or annex power.
Though there have been rumors and allegations, there is no evidence to sustain this hearsay.
However, it cannot be denied that globally and especially on the African continent, the quest for power by different interest groups has promulgated conflict and sexual gender based violence.
The high levels of SGBV violence in Africa can be theorized to be driven by political instability within the African continent and the lack of good governance.
Due to the highly volatile nature of certain regions of Africa and the constant struggle for power in recent times, it has been very challenging to establish the rule of law.
Conversely, the persisting divisive environment has produced a perfect storm of chaos and violence.
In addition to the contributing factor of the break down in the rule of law, politicians and local personalities have sometimes advanced and disseminated SGBV propaganda as a tool to garner political support for themselves.
There have been indications in the past that some political parties in different regions of Sub-Saharan Africa have fueled the problem of rape as means to garner political support among warring factions.
During the Rwandan genocide, there were accounts of female cabinet ministers advocating for rape of Tutsi women during cabinet meetings.
Some political factions also endorse SGBV acts by their supporting groups using it as an effective tool to sustain their political support base.
Though this phenomenon of politically supported and sustained sexually gender based violence has been rejected and refuted by some politicians, it is without a shred of doubt that the solidarity for paramilitary groups by political personalities eventually transforms into political support at the local level.
We urge the Nigerian government and the entire African Union to remain committed and intensify their commitment to rescuing the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls and to bring an end to the growing threat Boko Haram.
Gende