It will therefore look at the origin and modus operandi of boko haram and seek to answer the question as to whether we can rightly tag boko haram a terrorist group or a foreign terrorist organization using the. Boko harams ideology is premised on an extreme islamic teaching that rejects most. Although boko haram can be compared in terms of philosophy and objectives to the maitatsine sectarian group, its organisational planning, armed resistance, and modus operandi is taliban and attacks executed by the groups so far the most ferocious and devastating. It will therefore look at the origin and modus operandi of boko haram and seek to answer the question as to whether we can rightly tag boko haram a terrorist group or a foreign terrorist organization using the u s standard for designation. Accordingly, the study recommends that good and inclusive governance be employed as a panacea for harmonizing the fractured nigerian state and overcoming insurgency in nigeria. Ideology 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 14th century fundamentalist scholar ibn taymiyyah.
This comprehensive report examines boko harams extremist rhetoric, leadership, and history of violent activities. The doctrines that the leaders of the boko haram founded their sect cannot be separated from the global jihad movement that exploits the widespread suffering, resentment, and anger in the muslim world. The history of boko haram boko harams origins lie in a group of radical islamist youth who worshipped at the alhaji muhammadu ndimi mosque in maiduguri a decade ago. As such, nigeria should be wary of its political failings, it creates a void that necessarily must be filled by whom is the question. Its stated goal is to overthrow the secular government of nigeria and replace it with an islamic system. Nigerias difficulties in defeating boko haram has security ramifications that go beyond its borders, especially for west africa. As such, nigeria should be wary of its political failings, it creates a void that necessarily must be filled. Boko haram bh is a nigerian extremist group which emerged only in the last decade, but. Were aqim and boko haram to combine their efforts, west africa, a. It examines the early history of the sect and its transformation into a radical armed group. Understanding the threat posed by boko haram in order to understand how the boko haram insurgency threatens security, it is pertinent to provide a background of its evolution. Boko haram faction releases book on history and ideology a flag belonging to boko haram flies from a mosque in the retaken town of damasak, nigeria, march 18, 2015 emmanuel braunreuters. A common account of the groups origin traces it to 2002, when mohammed yusuf, a charismatic preacher, became its leader.
Since 2009, boko haram has transformed itself from a cultlike religious movement into a revolutionary insurgent organization. The case of boko haram in nigeria stability journal. Boko haram is an isisaligned jihadist group based in nigeria. This study examines the role of elite politics in the emergence of boko haram insurgency in nigeria.
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. The results of the study are intended for africom and its subordinate commands, but are applicable to all usg entities that contribute resources to countering boko haram. Sahara reporters, boko haram leader imam abubakar shekau. This is implicitly contradicted by the same source, when david cook claims that boko haram follows usman dan fodio, which was a 19th century reformer within malikite islam. Pdf ideological factors help to define the evolution of terrorist organisations. The boko haram, hitherto a relatively simple and mechanical group of socially excluded islamic seminary students graduated to a violent, destructive, complex and organic one capable of creating anomie condition. The ideological evolution of boko haram in nigeria please scroll down for article. This book is the first attempt to understand boko haram in a comprehensive and consistent way. Pdf the ideological evolution of boko haram in nigeria. Boko haram raided a bank in misau, bauchi state, killing 5 policemen, robbing the bank, killing 4 soldiers a day after, different parts of borno and yobe states came under attacks by the sect in november, 2011. As thurston phrases it, boko haram arose from intramuslim competition as well as from narratives of grievance against the state and christians. The name boko haram is a hausa name which only the hausa peoples understood and is a compound name comprised of hausa and arabic. Peace talks initiatives between the boko haram and nigerian. In the past couple of weeks so much has been said and reported, particularly in the new media about the so called resurgence of boko haram insurgency and the progress or.
The root cause of the conflict is ideological in nature. The potential for boko haram to evolve from being a local to a regional or global threat is clear, and there are signs that several boko haram factions have already abandoned nigeriaoriented objectives in favor of embracing transnational militant objectives history and ideology from 2002 to 2009, boko haram was led by mohammed yusuf, a charis. Untold story of boko haram, its ideology, what they want and. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic. The analysis has identified the following as key strengths of boko haram.
An assessment of strengths, vulnerabilities, and policy options from previous hit. The boko haram insurgency driving factors behind the existence of the boko haram group in nigeria qurat ul ain arendas 7912887 api6999. They seek to analyse the extent to which, in addition to local grievances and its own internal politics, the ideology of other. Understanding boko haram it is not clear when boko haram came into being. The ideology of boko haram, a nigerian jihadi group that has pledged allegiance to the islamic state, is often described as opposition to democracy and rejection of westernstyle education. The boko haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist group boko haram started an armed rebellion against the government of nigeria.
Untold story of boko haram, its ideology, what they want. Lastly, analytical deductions in this paper, in many ways add dense insight on the perspectives that can instigate an end to the debilitating. Isis and boko haram have a stronger millenarian religious cast in their ideology and propaganda than alqaeda. Boko haram periodically conducts attacks beyond this area. The shaded area illustrates boko harams general area of operations in 20152016. Summary of findings having conducted a rigorous conflict assessment, we conclude that boko haram is a. Pdf nigeria has recently been confronted with increased terrorist activity by a group called boko. Boko haram and counter ideology method 111 see how logical deductions through the application of locale specific perspectives can aid towards finding domain specific prognosis to terrorism in nigeria. Major research paper the boko haram insurgency driving. The boko haram becoming so complex, defensive and offensive is. Jan 14, 2016 the ideology of boko haram, a nigerian jihadi group that has pledged allegiance to the islamic state, is often described as opposition to democracy and rejection of westernstyle education. It does not indicate territorial control by the group.
Boko haram boko haram, officially jamaatu ahlis sunna liddaawati waljihad can be translated as people committed to the propagation of the prophets teachings and jihad is a religious sect operating in mostly northeastern regions of nigeria, with recent significant. War crimes committed by boko haram in northeast nigeria. The ideological evolution of boko haram in nigeria. The conflict takes place within the context of longstanding issues of religious violence between nigerias muslim and christian communities, and the insurgents ultimate aim is to establish an islamic state. Boko haram follows a purely military insurgency model and currently has no political front. Political elites are no longer divided by ideology but by. Boko haram faction releases book on history and ideology a flag belonging to boko haram flies from a mosque in the retaken town of damasak, nigeria, march 18. Despite declaring a caliphate, boko haram has made little attempt at governing the territory it has captured. By comparison, boko haram appears to be both gratuitous and explicit in its use of violence. Islamism, politics, security and the state in nigeria. The threat from boko haram and ansaru the henry jackson society 7 leadership have recently surfaced. The shaded area illustrates boko haram s general area of operations in 20152016. Boko haram an analysis of the latest developments yossef bodansky major force buildup started immediately for both strategic reasons and in order to provide security for a campaign rally by president jonathan.
For years, boko haram has been conducting a lethal jihadist insurgency in the countrys north to drive out government forces and establish an islamic state. As noted by david cook of the james baker iii institute for public policy, boko harams mass killings, pillaging, and enslavement of children more closely match the operations of an african guerrilla movement than those of a salafijihadist organization. This article will look into boko haram, its ideology, its methods, and its. Boko haram ties with salafists in mali and somalia. The boko haram becoming so complex, defensive and offensive is due to what mao tsetung. Peace talks initiatives between the boko haram and. Boko haram and the recurring bomb attacks in nigeria.
Boko harams religious and political worldview brookings institution. Boko haram is generally perceived as a violent islamist group basing its ideology on the religious principles and therefore often framed in the terms of religious conflict, which svensson defines as a con. Since 2009, boko haram has transformed itself from a cultlike religious. According to toni 2011 the boko haram is the popular name for the nigerian terrorist organisation jamaatul alhul sunnah liddawati wal jihad, or people committed to the propagation of the prophets teachings and jihad toni 2011. On the other hand, contrasting approaches to returning to this original way of practicing islam has given rise to salafi jihadis that believe in the use of violence, even against. Under ideology, boko haram are described as a salafist group, attributing this to david cook. The main pillars in the overlapping ideas in boko harams ideology, as formulated by the former leader mohammed. Boko haram ideology is a spill over from the sunnisalafi doctrine that the temporal proximity to prophet mohammad is associated with the truest form of islam. This is the most explicitly political challenge to the government albeit delivered through military means. Explaining boko haram, nigerias islamist insurgency the. 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. The former aim to create or prepare for the creation of gods kingdom on earth. The activities of boko haram in the northeastern part of nigeria have highlighted the need for more effective counterstrategies.
It analyses the causes of the uprising against the nigerian state and evaluates the consequences of the ongoing conflict from a religious, social and. Boko harams ideology has played in indoctrinating a new cadre of militants in northern cameroon. Boko haram, an islamist separatist movement based in northern nige ria, has captured the attention of policymakers in nigeria and around the world with its potent blend of religious fanaticism. It argues that the struggle between political elites of northern and southern extractions over the control of state power has intensified national conflicts and insurgency in the country. Radicalisationderadicalisationcounterradicalisationmarch20. Democratic party to boko haram, casts the nigerian political party the all progressives congress as an islamist organiza tion, and accuses emir of kano muhammadu sanusi ii a target of boko haram of supporting the sect. Analysis of the boko haram, often, focuses on their attacks, history and ideology in nigeria. In the morning of 24 january, several thousand troops, new tanks and armored vehicles were deployed to the streets of maiduguri.
Much has been written about the origins of boko haram. Based on the case of boko haram, or jamaatu ahlissunnah liddaawati wal jihad people committed to the propagation of the prophets teachings and jihad to give it its real name, this chapter. The movement is unique in that it combines a sectarian, radical islamic agenda with violence. Boko haram faction releases book on history and ideology. The hausa applied the term boko to western forms of education so when the term haram is appended to it the intent is.
In 2006 late yusuf personally handed me a press release that stated, islam permits them to subsist under a modern govt, but has explicitly prohibited them from supporting such govts as far as their. Boko haram arose out of this miasma of intramuslim conversations and competition for audiences and ideas. Is accepted boko haram as its province in west africa in 2014 and the united states department of state designated it as a foreign terrorist organization. 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. Radicalisationderadicalisationcounterradicalisation march20.
This paper aims to examine the historical evolution of boko haram, its causes, recruitment, ideology, area of operation and the ways through which the problem can be solved. While military crackdowns on boko haram have the potential to significantly degrade the groups operational capability to mount devastating attacks on a largescale, it must be considered that such an approach may increasingly force ultraradical elements within boko haram to establish terrorist networks with aqim and alshabaab as a form of. Boko haram is an islamist extremist group responsible for dozens of massacres of civilians and the abduction of more than 500 women and girls in its fiveyear insurgency in nigeria. This rapid development and global visibility make boko haram an important example of the combination of religion and violence in the 21st century. Forest notes, boko haram is largely a local phenomenon, though one with strategic implications, and must be understood and addressed within its local context and the long standing grievances that motivate terrorist activity.