Boko haram reportedly released all but one of the girls by 21 march. The emergence of boko haram is a symptom of the maturation of historical extremist and rejectionist impulses in the northeast and the failure of both governmental and customary conflict mitigation institutions. Boko haram and the islamic states west africa province boko haram emerged in the early 2000s as a small sunni islamic sect in nigeria advocating a strict interpretation and implementation of islamic law, and has evolved since 2009 to become one of the worlds deadliest terrorist groups. The threat from boko haram and ansaru the henry jackson society 7 leadership have recently surfaced. The research analysis revealed that the boko haram insurgency has. The historical background of boko haram genocide watch. Boko haram s insurgency is fueled by nigerias history, geopolitical structure, ethnoreligious composition and socioeconomic disparities. In 2015 the group began calling itself islamic state in west africa. The history of an african jihadist movement supersedes everything that has been written so far on the development of this enigmatic jihadist movement in northeastern nigeria.
As one of the few organisations with fieldbased expertise in the greater sahel and on all four countries caught. Boko haram kidnapped 110 schoolgirls from the government technical girls college in dapchi, yobe, on 19 february 2018. D department of history, adeyemi federal university of education p. Massacre possibly deadliest in boko harams history.
Boko haram is one of the deadliest jihadist groups in the world, and the crisis surrounding. Who that new leadership of boko haram was after the death of muhammad yusuf remained a mystery until january 2012 when abubakar shekau, a former deputy of yusuf who was thought to have died in the 2009 violence appeared on a boko haram video posted to youtube. The origins of boko haramand why it matters by audu. Therefore, this study aims to examine the threat of boko haram insurgency on nigerian national security system. The bbc looks at the militant islamist group boko haram, which is fighting to overthrow the nigerian government and create an islamic state in parts of west africa. The movement is unique in that it combines a sectarian, radical islamic agenda with violence. Boko haram formed in 2002 when mohammed yusuf, a wellknown preacher and proselytizer of the izala sect of islam in the maiduguri region of nigeria, began to radicalize his discourse to reject all secular aspects of nigerian society. Nigerias population of an estimated 200 million people is plagued by an alarming level of violence, which is driven by a toxic mix of brutal extremist groups, criminal gangs and a cropland crisis. To address the boko haram crisis in nigeria, this study looked at maos theory of revolutionary war as a guide to understand the group. Boko haram emerged in the early 2000s as a small sunni islamic sect in nigeria advocating a strict interpretation and implementation of islamic law, and has evolved since 2009 to become one of the worlds deadliest terrorist groups. The history of boko haram cannot be disentangled from the immense political change nigeria underwent during the 1999 transition to democracy. View cnn s fast facts on boko haram and learn more about the militant islamic group based in nigeria, whose purpose is to institute sharia, or islamic law. During the late 1990s or early 2000sit is unclear precisely whenyusuf emerged as the groups leader.
History and ideology from 2002 to 2009, boko haram was led by mohammed yusuf, a charismatic imam in northeastern nigerias borno state, who preached that western education is sinful, which in hausa language translates to boko haram boko means book or, more broadly, western education, and haram. North east nigeria, in collective mobilisations in africa, edited by kadya tall, marie. Nation listing entry describes boko haram as an affiliate of alqaeda and also one of the organisations of alqaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim reuters, 2014. Boko haram s objective is to establish islamic rule in nigeria through imposition of sharia law throughout the country. The multinational joint task force against boko haram. Historical evoulution of boko haram the history and development of boko haram insurgents group in north eastern.
Pdf claimed by boko haram and reduce violence linked to the group to levels seen prior to 2014. There is no military solution to this insurgency, and the authorities should instead put the emphasis on demobilising militants, solving local conflicts, reinvigorating the economy and restoring public services. Boko haram and the evolving salafi jihadist threat in nigeria pdf. Nigerias battle with boko haram council on foreign. Boko haram and the islamic states west africa province. In 2002, an offshoot of this youth group not yet known as boko haram declared the city and the islamic establishment to be intolerably corrupt and irredeemable. A short history of boko haram this morning, members of the boko haram movement attacked a dss detention facility close to the seat of power in abuja. Relations with the islamic world analysis paper no. Understanding how boko haram has targeted displaced people and what some of its specific objectives might be. Is there a coherent vision or set of beliefs behind it. Lecture delivered at the program on terrorism and security studies ptss, george c. Based on years of research in northern nigeria as well as his knowledge of a vast number of primary sources in both arabic and hausa, thurston is able to. The name boko haram is a hausa name which only the hausa peoples understood and is a compound name comprised of hausa and arabic. The impact of boko haram insurgency on nigerian national.
Boko haram s story begins with a preacher named mohammed marwa, born in 1927. A history of the continent since independence illustrated ed. Nigerian government to combat the group, boko haram s activities continue to spread across the region. On 2 april, a boko haram attack on the outskirts of maiduguri resulted in the death of 18 people and another 84 wounded. He argues that the groups ideology is ultimately religiously focused, but draws on deep ethnic and cultural roots to recruit members and sustain its momentum. Spiraling violence boko haram attacks and security forces abuses in nigeria pdf. A heavyhanded or solely military response will not bring peace and may be counterproductive.
Since 2009 the group has carried out largescale acts of violence. The rise of boko haram in nigeria combating terrorism. International journal of liberal arts and social science issn. As boko haram continues its fight in northern nigeria, atta barkindo examines the cultural and ethnic ties of the insurgency. While the full report moves toward publication, brookings asked him to publish excerpts for africa in focus, 1 explaining the emergence of boko haram, 2 discussing possible scenarios on how the. The history of boko haram boko haram s origins lie in a group of radical islamist youth who worshipped at the alhaji muhammadu ndimi mosque in maiduguri a decade ago. More a mosque based community than a tightly organized movement, boko haram centered on the salafi preacher muhammad yusuf 19702009. The historical background of boko haram boko haram literally translated as western education is a sin is a genocidal criminal movement led by an islamist extremist, abubakar shekau, who has vowed to destroy every christian school in nigeria, and to carry out terrorist attacks on nigerian government police and government officials. Boko haram militants have a wellestablished history of disguising. Africa command africom, general carter ham, voiced concerns about the intent. Facts, history, leaders, and origins of the terrorist group usa today usa today file this file image made available wednesday, jan. Pdf for the past decade, boko haram has relentlessly terrorized northeastern nigeria. After decades of vacillating between periods of military rule and democracy, punctuated by coups, the nigerian fourth republic began as general abdusalami abubakar peacefully handed over power to olusegun obasanjo after democratic elections. After decades of vacillating between periods of military rule and democracy, punctuated by coups, the nigerian fourth republic began as general abdusalami abubakar peacefully handed over power to olusegun.
The history of an african jihadist movement princeton studies in muslim politics. Among the mostpressing concerns in jonathans first full term as president was the ongoing threat presented by boko haram, an islamic sectarian movement founded in 2002 in northeastern nigeria. Understanding nigerian citizens perspectives on boko haram. Boko haram took shape in the northeastern nigerian city of maiduguri, borno state, in the early 2000s. Boko haram is considered a threat to not only nigeria but also the entire world. Boko haram is a radical islamist movement shaped by its nigerian context and reflecting. The state of insecurity engendered by boko haram insurgency in nigeria. Boko haram, islamic sectarian movement founded in 2002 in northeastern nigeria. The struggle against boko haram in southeastern niger is increasingly sharpening local conflicts over access to resources.
The hausa applied the term boko to western forms of education so when the term haram is appended to it the intent is. The violent rise and resilience of the jihadist group boko haram in the lake chad basin since 2009 poses enormous security, humanitarian and governance challenges. Examining the boko haram insurgency in northern nigeria and the quest for a permanent resolution of the crisis joseph olukayode akinbi ph. Boko harams religious and political worldview brookings institution. According to a september 20 house of representatives homeland security committee report, the aqim boko haram collaboration is a mature relationship that allows boko haram an avenue to advance its capability, and. History of boko haram founded in the muslimdominated northern nigeria in 2002 by mohammed yusuf, boko haram was originally labeled as the nigerian taliban because of its ideology and methods. The history of an african jihadist movement princeton studies in muslim politics thurston, alexander on. Boko haram is a violent sunni jihadist group founded by cleric mohammed yusuf, who was previously a leader within a salafist group in the 1990s, and was inspired by 14 th century fundamentalist scholar ibn taymiyyah. Boko haram was reported to have killed 380 people between april and september 2017 in the lake chad area. The kidnapping of chris mcmanus and franco lamolinara. The boko haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist group boko haram started an. Boko haram messaging has ebbed and flowed throughout its history, while the types of. Boko haram, a militant group based in nigerias northwestern states of yobe and borno, claimed responsibility.
History of boko haram from muhammad yusuf to abubakar. The history of an african jihadist movement on jstor. At about age eighteen, he moved to kano, in what is today northern nigeria, and began a career as a preacher. Nigerias history of poor governance and extreme poverty in the north. Boko haram has established a base in diffa, southeastern niger, on the nigerian border, in order to escape nigerian army and police repression. About 57% of all schools in borno state were closed due to the boko haram insurgency, affecting the education of about 3 million children. Marshall european centre for security studies, garmischpartenkirchen, germany,14 march 2014. The anatomy of a crisis 10 since 2009 boko haram has become a metaphor for insecurity in nigeria after the government launched a clampdown on the group, which resulted in some 800 deaths, mostly of the sect members. Despite the growing literature about the group, few if any attempts have been. Few if any explanations for the rise of this violent. Introduction boko haram, a movement claiming to act in the name of is lam, has killed tens of thousands of people in nigeria and the neighboring countries of niger, chad, and cameroon.
Since 2009, boko haram has transformed itself from a. How boko haram specifically targets displaced people reliefweb. Other boko haram bases in niger were recorded in maradi and zinder. Since it erupted onto the world stage in 2009, people have asked, what is boko haram, and what does it stand for.
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