A video appearing to show proof of life of some of Nigeria's kidnapped Chibok girls is being aired along with images of tearful parents recognising their daughters, unheard of since the mass abduction by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram two years ago.
CNN on Wednesday showed video, believed made in December, of girls wearing the Islamic hijab and of one mother reaching out to a computer screen as she recognises her daughter.
"My Saratu," she wails.
On the night of April 14, 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in the northeast town of Chibok. Dozens of girls later escaped, but 219 remain missing.
While Boko Haram is thought to have abducted thousands of people over the years, the mass abduction brought the extremist group to the world's attention.
The campaign hashtag #BringBackOurGirls went as far as the White House, used by US first lady Michelle Obama.
The failure of Nigerian officials and the military to rescue the girls brought international condemnation and contributed to President Goodluck Jonathan's loss in elections last year.
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Jonathan at first had denied there had been a mass abduction, but international pressure soon forced him to accept help from other countries. The United States, Britain and France were among those that sent advisers, including hostage negotiators.
CNN reported that the "proof of life" video was sent in December to negotiators trying to free the girls.
"We are all well," one of the girls says in the video.
