West African countries have declared a “war” on the militant group Boko Haram following last month’s kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls. At a meeting in Paris, heads of state from Nigeria and its neighbors declared the Boko Haram a threat to all of Africa. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan likened the group to al-Qaeda.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan: “Boko Haram is no longer the local terror group with some religious sentiment that started in Nigeria in 2002 to 2009 — sorry, from 2002, 2004. From 2009 to date, it has changed and is operating clearly as an al-Qaeda organization. It can better be described as al-Qaeda in West and Central Africa. It’s no longer the Boko Haram that came with the sentiment that Western education is prohibited and that women must not go to school.”

Jonathan has faced sustained calls to resign in the aftermath of the kidnapping. Protests continued over the weekend seeking accountability for the government’s delayed response. Bala Usman of the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign said her group will demand a face-to-face meeting.

Bala Usman: “We have written him a letter informing him that we wish to see him. We are requesting for an audience. We have not yet gotten confirmation, but even without a confirmation we intend to march to the president on Thursday to ask him questions as citizens, to demand to know what is Nigerian government doing towards the rescue operations of our girls.”