When Boko Haram kidnapped 276 Nigerian school girls for the "crime" of going to school, it caught the eye of the world's press. For years, however, US bosses had refused to list Boko Haram as a terrorist organization. Now, as their struggle intensifies with their Russian and Chinese imperialist rivals over the control of Africa, they are using this hideous sexist crime to expand their military presence there. Obama has already sent US troops to Chad to "help fight" Boko Haram in Nigeria. 

Now we see the grotesque spectacle of US imperialism's agents like Nicholas Kristof and Michelle Obama shedding crocodile tears for the girls taken by Boko Haram. Their campaign to "Bring Back Our Girls," is just a cover to further US imperialism's plans in Africa. Many in the world understood this by answering the picture of Michelle Obama with signs saying "Obama has killed more girls with drones than Boko Haram."

Of course, Boko Haram is a sexist, terrorist organization. It needs to be wiped out. For years now it has bombed, maimed and kidnapped mainly Christians in Northern Nigeria, using religion as an excuse. However, the biggest terrorists are the world's capitalist-imperialist rulers. Communist revolution will wipe them off the earth, together with their creations like Boko Haram.

Communism will destroy the material basis of sexism and racism, used by the capitalists to divide the working class with the lie that women and non-white workers are inferior. The Nigerian ruling class learned this from the days of British colonialism. Now, since independence they have promoted deep divisions among the masses. Wherever they can, they exploit regional, tribal and religious divisions. The Moslem North versus the Christian South is one of the main ones.  In this, Boko Haram, the wanna-be rulers of Northern Nigeria, are no different.

Capitalism = Terrorism

Nigeria is a country of 150 million.  It is ranked as one of the fourth fastest growing economies in the world.  It pumps some 2.5 million barrels of oil a day, which sells for up to $100 a barrel.  In terms of capital, Nigeria is a triumph.

Yet, 70% of the population lives on less than $1 a day and 9l%  are living below the $2 a day poverty line. Life expectancy is barely 45 years.  Year after year, millions die in what should be the prime years of their productive lives. Has the world press shown up to report on this carnage? No!

Are Boko Haram bombs responsible for this? No! The normal relations of capitalism produces mass murder on this scale.

Like the rest of Africa, Nigeria is the scene of a sharpening inter-imperialist rivalry. The new imperialists like China are turning their attention and money to the whole continent.  In terms of investments they are fast catching up to the older imperialist powers like France, Britain and the US. Of course, all of them want to grab oil and raw materials from the continent but they also want more.

From Egypt to Nigeria to South Africa: A Powerful Working Class is Organizing

In all this Nigeria, which is Africa's largest economy, is both central and problematical. Nigeria has a youth population of over 80 million, of which 64 million are unemployed. There is a lot of energy on the streets. Compare the wealth of the elite to the poverty of the masses and there is a lot of anger on the street. Nigeria is awash with struggle.

In  2012 it exploded. On January 1st, the government declared it was going to remove the gas subsidy. By January 3rd 200,000 people marched through Lagos and five other major cities across the country. Each day the marches grew. By January 9th, the trade union movement was forced to call an indef inite general strike. The cops shot protesters, but the marches grew. The official strike lasted five days before the trade union movement called it off, after the government had partially restored the subsidy.

Yet, like any insurrectionary movement, when the masses move, they toss aside sectarian divisions with contempt.  In Minna, for example, the town that had witnessed the Christmas bombing of Christians by Boko Haram, Muslim youth guarded the churches on Sunday and directly challenged Boko Haram to show their faces. Likewise, in the south Christians surrounded and protected the mosques where Muslims were praying. Boko Haram was noticeably absent in the days of rebellion.

The strike was contained but the spirit of struggle has been lit. This year May Day events organized by the off icial union movement saw masses of workers defying police and marching to the stadiums for the rallies. Meanwhile, soldiers ambushed a Major General who had sent them to fight Boko Haram with little ammunition and shoddy equipment. Mass movements of villagers are arming themselves and battling the terrorists, as did the kidnapped girls.

The imperialists have plans for Africa, but African workers from Egypt to Nigeria to South Africa have plans for the imperialists too. This is a struggle that Red Flag intends to enter, influence and, one day, lead. Racist, sexist capital ism offers a future of wage work for $1 per day.  Masses of workers mobilizing for communism will make a future of men and women workers working and caring for each other. We know which future offers the better prospects for workers of the world.

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