Putting Boko Haram on US terror list sends political message: Expert by RFI

In the US, the State Department has formally designated Boko Haram, radical Nigerian Islamists, as a "foreign terrorist organization."

A second Nigerian group, Ansaru, has also been added to the list.

This designation makes it a crime to provide "material support" to the two groups.

This means that U.S. law enforcement agencies must block business and financial transactions with Boko Haram and Asaru.

RFI's Michel Arseneault spoke to an expert from TRAC, the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium, Veryan Khan.