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AnalysisBy Will Ross, BBC News, LagosThe violence is relentless and increasingly shocking. If it is true that a 10-year-old girl carried the explosives which killed at least 19 people in Maiduguri on Saturday, it throws up a list of unanswerable questions. For example, was the girl aware of what she was doing? Was she drugged or brainwashed and did she trigger the bomb or was it done remotely?
Sometimes Nigeria's military has recorded successes. It managed to prevent the jihadists from taking over the Yobe state capital Damaturu on Friday night - the gun battle lasted for hours.
But the military faces a mountainous task trying to protect civilians from the bombers and gunmen who are spread over a large area of the north-east and although officials don't like to hear it, they have often been overpowered and failed to protect civilians.
The world is slowly waking up to express shock at the latest violence but beyond condemnation and limited help with training, it seems there is little or no appetite to become more deeply involved in this conflict.
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/75306000/jpg/_75306515_line976.jpg) Archbishop Kaigama said facing down Boko Haram required international support and unity of the type that had been shown after last week's militant attacks in France.
"We need that spirit to be spread around," he said. "Not just when it [an attack] happens in Europe, but when it happens in Nigeria, in Niger, in Cameroon.
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/80204000/jpg/_80204240_nigeriajosbaga4641201.jpg) "We [must] mobilise our international resources and face or confront the people who bring such sadness to many families."
A French-led initiative has called for Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to contribute 700 troops each to a multinational force against Boko Haram, but no country has implemented the plan.
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/75306000/jpg/_75306515_line976.jpg) Boko Haram at a glance (http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/80142000/jpg/_80142357_afp_bh.jpg)
- Founded in 2002
- Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
- Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state
- Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
- Some three million people affected
- Declared terrorist group by US in 2013
Who are Boko Haram? (http://www.theinfostride.com/news/world-africa-13809501)
Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram (http://www.theinfostride.com/news/world-africa-27396702)
Boko Haram in numbers (http://www.theinfostride.com/newsbeat/30777607)
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Source: BBC