DOCSLIB.ORG

Breaking Boko Haram and Ramping up Recovery: US-Lake Chad Region 2013-2016

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

From Pariah to Partner: The US Integrated Reform Mission in Burma, 2009 to 2015 Breaking Boko Haram and Ramping Up Recovery Making Peace Possible US Engagement in the Lake Chad Region 2301 Constitution Avenue NW 2013 to 2016 Washington, DC 20037 202.457.1700 Beth Ellen Cole, Alexa Courtney, www.USIP.org Making Peace Possible Erica Kaster, and Noah Sheinbaum @usip 2 Looking for Justice ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This case study is the product of an extensive nine- month study that included a detailed literature review, stakeholder consultations in and outside of government, workshops, and a senior validation session. The project team is humbled by the commitment and sacrifices made by the men and women who serve the United States and its interests at home and abroad in some of the most challenging environments imaginable, furthering the national security objectives discussed herein. This project owes a significant debt of gratitude to all those who contributed to the case study process by recommending literature, participating in workshops, sharing reflections in interviews, and offering feedback on drafts of this docu- ment. The stories and lessons described in this document are dedicated to them. Thank you to the leadership of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and its Center for Applied Conflict Transformation for supporting this study. Special thanks also to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) for assisting with the production of various maps and graphics within this report. Any errors or omis- sions are the responsibility of the authors alone. ABOUT THE AUTHORS This case study was produced by a team led by Beth ABOUT THE INSTITUTE Ellen Cole, special adviser for violent extremism, conflict, and fragility at USIP, with Alexa Courtney, Erica Kaster, The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan and Noah Sheinbaum of Frontier Design Group. Alexa institution established and funded by Congress. Its goals are to and Noah previously directed the USIP-supported Fragility help prevent and resolve violent conflicts, promote postconflict Study Group. Alexa has worked in USAID’s Office of peacebuilding, and increase conflict-management tools, capacity, and Conflict Mitigation and Management, and Erica formerly intellectual capital worldwide. The Institute does this by empowering served with USAID/OTI and the State Department’s others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by its direct Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. Noah’s involvement in conflict zones around the globe. work in the private sector brought additional insight into Chairman of the Board: Steven J. Hadley the project. Vice Chairman: George E. Moose President: Nancy Lindborg Chief Financial Officer: Joe Lataille BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stephen J. Hadley (Chair), Principal, RiceHadleyGates, LLC, Washington, D.C.• George E. Moose (Vice Chair), Adjunct Professor of Practice, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. • Judy Ansley, Former Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor under George W. Bush, Washington, D.C. • Eric Edelman, Hertog Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Washington, D.C. • Joseph Eldridge, University Chaplain and Senior Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, School of International Service, American University • Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Washington, D.C. • Ikram U. Khan, President, Quality Care Consultants, LLC, Las Vegas, Nev. • Cover map: USAID/OTI Stephen D. Krasner, Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. • John A. Lancaster, Former The views expressed in this report are those of the Executive Director, International Council on Independent Living, Potsdam, author(s) alone. They do not necessarily reflect the N.Y. • Jeremy A. Rabkin, Professor of Law, George Mason University, views of the United States Institute of Peace. Fairfax, Va. • J. Robinson West, Chairman, PFC Energy, Washington, D.C. • Nancy Zirkin, Executive Vice President, Leadership Conference on Civil United States Institute of Peace and Human Rights, Washington, D.C. 2301 Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC 20037 Phone: 202.457.1700 MEMBERS EX OFFICIO Fax: 202.429.6063 Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State • James Mattis, Secretary of Defense E-mail: [email protected] • Frederick M. Padilla, Major General, Marine Corps; President, National Web: www.usip.org Defense University • Nancy Lindborg, President, © 2017 by the United States Institute of Peace United States Institute of Peace (nonvoting) 5 CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2017 Executive Summary ... 3 Glossary of Terms ... 5 Foreword: Who Should Read This Case Study and Why? ... 6 About This rojectP ... 7 Methodology ... 8 BREAKING BOKO HARAM AND RAMPING UP RECOVERY: US ENGAGEMENT IN THE LCR, 2013 TO 2016 ... 9 Lake Chad Region: Understanding the Complex Crisis The Backdrop of Complexity ... 9 Complex Environment in the Lake Chad Region ... 11 Water Crisis and Related Human Insecurity ... 11 State Fragility: A Frayed Relationship Between State and Citizen ... 11 Violent Conflict Fueled by Violent Extremist Organizations and Regional Upheaval ... 13 Displacement and Refugee Populations ... 14 Poor Regional Problem Solving: The Absence of Political Will, Capability, and Regional Cooperation ... 14 ... 14 The United States in the LCR: Key Objectives and Accomplishments Introduction: The Fight Against Boko Haram ... 14 The Case for Engagement ... 15 Goals for Engagement ... 17 Early Days: Nigeria Fails to Stem BH Alone, 2011 ... 17 Pivot Point: BH Abducts Schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria, April 2014 ... 21 Pivot Point: Regional Coordination Begins in Earnest, October 2014 ... 22 Pivot Point: Nigeria Elects President Muhammadu Buhari and Gets Serious in the Fight Against BH, March 2015 ... 23 Pivot Point: Multinational Joint Task Force Launches Offensive Against BH, March 2016 ... 26 Unpacking the “How”: ... 29 Differentiating Elements of US Efforts in the LCR Bilateral Approaches to Meeting Country-Specific Challenges to Stemming Crisis ... 30 Overview ... 30 Key Bilateral Elements of the Effort to Stem the LCR Crisis ... 30 Stitching Together Bilateral Approaches to Stem a Regional Crisis Holistically ... 35 Overview ... 35 Elements of the Holistic Approach to Stemming Crisis in the LCR ... 36 Crosscutting Lessons in 3D Engagement: ... Reflections and Conclusions 40 ... 43 Annex: Active US Programs for the LCB Response (USAID) ... Notes 44 2 USIP.ORG EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary This is one of three case studies that the US Institute of Peace (USIP) developed to explore how the US Defense, Development, and Diplomatic (3D) communities can effectively collaborate and coordinate to respond to complex crises in fragile states. The case studies document efforts and draw lessons from where US government leaders believe deepening crises were staved off through collaborative inter-agency engagement. Case Background The Lake Chad region (LCR) is an example of a region in which violent extremist activity has arisen from and exacerbated an environment of resource shortage and underlying state fragility. The extremist activity spurred a cross-border security and humanitarian crisis that existing regional cooperation mechanisms were unprepared to address. Originally an Islamist criminal group in northeastern Nigeria, Boko Haram (BH) acquired new leadership that began in 2009 to take the group down a violent extremist path. BH rapidly amplified the lethality and frequency of its attacks on govern- ment and civilian targets in Nigeria, while recruiting from marginalized, exploited, and impoverished populations across the region. BH withstood the Nigerian authorities’ poorly planned, poorly resourced, and half-hearted attempts to beat it back. By 2013, BH had conducted hundreds of attacks and killed thousands. Hundreds of thousands of civilians fled to safer communi- ties within Nigeria and to nearby Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, even though BH mounted cross-border attacks. LCR countries’ security forces played a cross-border cat-and-mouse game that kept BH on the run but failed to degrade the group until regional cooperation drove BH from captured territory in 2015. The Complex Crisis US Objectives Applicability of Lessons The crisis was shaped by the following The United States focused on three Lessons from the LCR may best apply to interacting challenges: objectives: circumstances in which: • Water crisis and related human • Degrade and defeat BH so that it is • A subnational VEO is growing in one insecurity no longer a threat to the region or more fragile states • State fragility: a frayed relationship • Mitigate BH’s impact on the people • A crisis in one country threatens to between government and citizens of the region destabilize a region • Violent conflict fueled by violent • Address the underlying conditions • The region has the will to address a extremist organizations (VEOs) and that gave rise to BH cross-border threat regional upheaval • Military action alone cannot • Displacement and refugee definitively end a security crisis populations • Mutually reinforcing regional and • Poor regional problem-solving bilateral approaches are necessary to capabilities stem a crisis The US Defense, Development, and Diplomatic Response The United States took special note of BH in 2011, concerned that the group would converge or cooperate with al-Qaeda
Recommended publications
  • Early Warning Bulletin

    Early Warning Bulletin

    MARCH 2017 EARLY WARNING ISSUE NO.2 BULLETIN Adamawa & Borno States, Nigeria March 2017 Introduction: Attacks by members of Boko At least thirteen Local identified in the month were: Haram and its splinter Government Areas (LGAs) sexual and gender basedviolence group-Islamic State West Africa namely Damboa, Chibok, targeted at both male and female Province (ISWAP) were the Magumeri, Gubio, Marte, minors; humanitarian risks highest threat to peace and Askira-Uba, Ngazai, Mafa, Bama, including fire incidents and security in Adamawa and Borno Kounduga, Monguno, Maiduguri protest by internally displaced states in the month. Twenty and Jere recorded an incident. persons among others. insurgent attacks were recorded Damboa LGA recorded at least in the early warning hub in four attacks, Magumeri and Adamawa State recorded month; these included attacks Konduga LGAs recorded two on local communities, attacks on each while Jere, Mafa and an attack in Madagali highways in the state, suicide Maiduguri recorded several local government area bomb explosions, attacks with suicide bomb explosions. (LGA) while the remaining improvised explosive devices, Several military offensives nineteen attacks were in alleged abduction among others. against insurgents led to arrest, The number of attacks recorded destruction of logistical bases, Borno state; no insurgent in the month increased in release of captives and attack was recorded in comparison with the sixteen surrender of some Adamawa in February recorded in February 2017. insurgents.Other risk factors Map of Borno State (left) and Adamawa (right) showing incident spots 1 Risk I: Insurgent attacks on communities: Chart: Target/ victims of incident attacks Boko Haram and ISWAP members’ attacks on local communities accounted for about 30% of insurgent attacks recorded in the month The attack on Kumburu village in Madagali LGA of Adamawa state was the first attack recorded in the state since January 14 2017 At Kumburu, Boko Haram were dropped on a bush path by humanitarian crisis in the state members reportedly looted the the village.
  • BOKO HARAM Emerging Threat to the U.S

    BOKO HARAM Emerging Threat to the U.S

    112TH CONGRESS COMMITTEE " COMMITTEE PRINT ! 1st Session PRINT 112–B BOKO HARAM Emerging Threat to the U.S. Homeland SUBCOMMITTEE ON COUNTERTERRORISM AND INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 2011 FIRST SESSION U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 71–725 PDF WASHINGTON : 2011 COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY PETER T. KING, New York, Chairman LAMAR SMITH, Texas BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi DANIEL E. LUNGREN, California LORETTA SANCHEZ, California MIKE ROGERS, Alabama SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas HENRY CUELLAR, Texas GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia LAURA RICHARDSON, California CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois TIM WALBERG, Michigan BRIAN HIGGINS, New York CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota JACKIE SPEIER, California JOE WALSH, Illinois CEDRIC L. RICHMOND, Louisiana PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania HANSEN CLARKE, Michigan BEN QUAYLE, Arizona WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia KATHLEEN C. HOCHUL, New York BILLY LONG, Missouri VACANCY JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas MO BROOKS, Alabama MICHAEL J. RUSSELL, Staff Director & Chief Counsel KERRY ANN WATKINS, Senior Policy Director MICHAEL S. TWINCHEK, Chief Clerk I. LANIER AVANT, Minority Staff Director (II) C O N T E N T S BOKO HARAM EMERGING THREAT TO THE U.S. HOMELAND I. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 II. Findings ..............................................................................................................
  • A Descriptive Analysis of French Teaching and the Place of Translation in Bachelor’S Curricula in Nigerian Universities

    A Descriptive Analysis of French Teaching and the Place of Translation in Bachelor’S Curricula in Nigerian Universities

    A descriptive analysis of French teaching and the place of translation in Bachelor’s curricula in Nigerian universities Gemanen Gyuse, Isabelle S. Robert & Jim J. J. Ureel University of Antwerp, Belgium Abstract Teaching French in Nigeria can help mitigate the communication barrier between Nigeria and its French-speaking neighbors. However, acquiring French and translating from English into French can present challenges to Bachelor students in Nigerian universities. This paper examines the context of teaching French studies and translation in Nigeria using the National Universities Commission Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (NUC-BMAS) for undergraduates in the country, as well as other relevant documentary sources. Results show that French is taught at all levels of education and that translation has always been an integral part of the curriculum. Translation is not only taught to increase proficiency in French; it is a separate competence that can orient graduates towards self-employment. Further research is needed to ascertain exactly how translation is taught and how Bachelor students in Nigerian universities are translating into French. Keywords Curriculum design, French teaching, translation, Nigeria, universities Parallèles – numéro 31(2), octobre 2019 DOI:10.17462/para.2019.02.04 Gemanen Gyuse, Isabelle S. Robert & Jim J. J. Ureel A descriptive analysis of French teaching and the place of translation in Bachelor’s curricula in Nigerian universities 1. Introduction Although the emphasis in this paper is on French and translation in Nigeria, it is important to know that English is the official language of Nigeria, the country, having been colonized by the British between the 19th and 20th centuries (Araromi, 2013; Offorma, 2012).
  • Aerial Surveys of Wildlife and Human Activity Across the Bouba N'djida

    Aerial Surveys of Wildlife and Human Activity Across the Bouba N'djida

    Aerial Surveys of Wildlife and Human Activity Across the Bouba N’djida - Sena Oura - Benoue - Faro Landscape Northern Cameroon and Southwestern Chad April - May 2015 Paul Elkan, Roger Fotso, Chris Hamley, Soqui Mendiguetti, Paul Bour, Vailia Nguertou Alexandre, Iyah Ndjidda Emmanuel, Mbamba Jean Paul, Emmanuel Vounserbo, Etienne Bemadjim, Hensel Fopa Kueteyem and Kenmoe Georges Aime Wildlife Conservation Society Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOF) L'Ecole de Faune de Garoua Funded by the Great Elephant Census Paul G. Allen Foundation and WCS SUMMARY The Bouba N’djida - Sena Oura - Benoue - Faro Landscape is located in north Cameroon and extends into southwest Chad. It consists of Bouba N’djida, Sena Oura, Benoue and Faro National Parks, in addition to 25 safari hunting zones. Along with Zakouma NP in Chad and Waza NP in the Far North of Cameroon, the landscape represents one of the most important areas for savanna elephant conservation remaining in Central Africa. Aerial wildlife surveys in the landscape were first undertaken in 1977 by Van Lavieren and Esser (1979) focusing only on Bouba N’djida NP. They documented a population of 232 elephants in the park. After a long period with no systematic aerial surveys across the area, Omondi et al (2008) produced a minimum count of 525 elephants for the entire landscape. This included 450 that were counted in Bouba N’djida NP and its adjacent safari hunting zones. The survey also documented a high richness and abundance of other large mammals in the Bouba N’djida NP area, and to the southeast of Faro NP. In the period since 2010, a number of large-scale elephant poaching incidents have taken place in Bouba N’djida NP.
  • Is There Borderline in Nigeria's Northeast? Multi-National Joint Task Force and Counterinsurgency Operation in Perspective

    Is There Borderline in Nigeria's Northeast? Multi-National Joint Task Force and Counterinsurgency Operation in Perspective

    Vol. 14(2), pp. 33-45, April-June 2020 DOI: 10.5897/AJPSIR2019.1198 Article Number: 3CA422D63652 ISSN: 1996-0832 Copyright ©2020 African Journal of Political Science and Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/AJPSIR International Relations Full Length Research Paper Is there borderline in Nigeria's northeast? Multi-national joint task force and counterinsurgency operation in perspective Lanre Olu-Adeyemi* and Shaibu Makanjuola T. Department of Political Science and Administration, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo State, Nigeria. Received 10 September, 2019; Accepted 6 March, 2020 Borderline as a defence line is central in countering transnational insurgency. Yet, countries in African Sub-region are lackadaisical about redefining inherited colonial borders. Primarily, the study examined the origin of Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) counterinsurgency (COIN) operational mandate as well as the linkage between border, threat of insurgency and MNJTF COIN operation in Nigeria's northeastern region. It derived data from secondary sources and method of analysis adopted was content descriptive analysis; enemy-centric and population-centric COIN theories upheld this study. Interestingly, study reveals that in 1994, MNJTF was established by Nigeria to deal with insurgent from its northern borders and later expanded to include African neighbours. That in 2015, MNJTF was formally authorized under a new concept of operation to cover COIN with the mandate to: Create a safe environment in areas
  • Lessons from Colombia for Curtailing the Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria

    Lessons from Colombia for Curtailing the Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria

    Lessons From Colombia For Curtailing The Boko Haram Insurgency In Nigeria BY AFEIKHENA JEROME igeria is a highly complex and ethnically diverse country, with over 400 ethnic groups. This diversity is played out in the way the country is bifurcated along the lines of reli- Ngion, language, culture, ethnicity and regional identity. The population of about 178.5 million people in 2014 is made up of Christians and Muslims in equal measures of about 50 percent each, but including many who embrace traditional religions as well. The country has continued to experience serious and violent ethno-communal conflicts since independence in 1960, including the bloody and deadly thirty month fratricidal Civil War (also known as the Nigerian-Biafran war, 1967-70) when the eastern region of Biafra declared its seces- sion and which claimed more than one million lives. The most prominent of these conflicts recently pitch Muslims against Christians in a dangerous convergence of religion, ethnicity and politics. The first and most dramatic eruption in a series of recent religious disturbances was the Maitatsine uprising in Kano in December 1980, in which about 4,177 died. While the exact number of conflicts in Nigeria is unknown, because of a lack of reliable sta- tistical data, it is estimated that about 40 percent of all conflicts have taken place since the coun- try’s return to civilian rule in 1999.1 The increasing wave of violent conflicts across Nigeria under the current democratic regime is no doubt partly a direct consequence of the activities of ethno- communal groups seeking self-determination in their “homelands,” and of their surrogate ethnic militias that have assumed prominence since the last quarter of 2000.
  • B133 Cameroon's Far North Reconstruction Amid Ongoing Conflict

    B133 Cameroon's Far North Reconstruction Amid Ongoing Conflict

    Cameroon’s Far North: Reconstruction amid Ongoing Conflict &ULVLV*URXS$IULFD%ULHILQJ1 1DLUREL%UXVVHOV2FWREHU7UDQVODWHGIURP)UHQFK I. Overview Cameroon has been officially at war with Boko Haram since May 2014. Despite a gradual lowering in the conflict’s intensity, which peaked in 2014-2015, the contin- uing violence, combined with the sharp rise in the number of suicide attacks between May and August 2017, are reminders that the jihadist movement is by no means a spent force. Since May 2014, 2,000 civilians and soldiers have been killed, in addition to the more than 1,000 people kidnapped in the Far North region. Between 1,500 and 2,100 members of Boko Haram have reportedly been killed following clashes with the Cameroonian defence forces and vigilante groups. The fight against Boko Haram has exacerbated the already-delicate economic situation for the four million inhabitants of this regionௗ–ௗthe poorest part of the country even before the outbreak of the conflict. Nevertheless, the local population’s adaptability and resilience give the Cameroonian government and the country’s international partners the opportunity to implement development policies that take account of the diversity and fluidity of the traditional economies of this border region between Nigeria and Chad. The Far North of Cameroon is a veritable crossroads of trading routes and cultures. Besides commerce, the local economy is based on agriculture, livestock farming, fishing, tourism, transportation of goods, handcrafts and hunting. The informal sector is strong, and contraband rife. Wealthy merchants and traditional chiefsௗ–ௗoften members of the ruling party and high-ranking civil servantsௗ–ௗare significant economic actors.
  • Living Through Nigeria's Six-Year

    Living Through Nigeria's Six-Year

    “When We Can’t See the Enemy, Civilians Become the Enemy” Living Through Nigeria’s Six-Year Insurgency About the Report This report explores the experiences of civilians and armed actors living through the conflict in northeastern Nigeria. The ultimate goal is to better understand the gaps in protection from all sides, how civilians perceive security actors, and what communities expect from those who are supposed to protect them from harm. With this understanding, we analyze the structural impediments to protecting civilians, and propose practical—and locally informed—solutions to improve civilian protection and response to the harm caused by all armed actors in this conflict. About Center for Civilians in Conflict Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) works to improve protection for civil- ians caught in conflicts around the world. We call on and advise international organizations, governments, militaries, and armed non-state actors to adopt and implement policies to prevent civilian harm. When civilians are harmed we advocate the provision of amends and post-harm assistance. We bring the voices of civilians themselves to those making decisions affecting their lives. The organization was founded as Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict in 2003 by Marla Ruzicka, a courageous humanitarian killed by a suicide bomber in 2005 while advocating for Iraqi families. T +1 202 558 6958 E [email protected] www.civiliansinconflict.org © 2015 Center for Civilians in Conflict “When We Can’t See the Enemy, Civilians Become the Enemy” Living Through Nigeria’s Six-Year Insurgency This report was authored by Kyle Dietrich, Senior Program Manager for Africa and Peacekeeping at CIVIC.
  • The Effects of Xenophobia on South Africa-Nigeria Relations: Attempting a Retrospective Study

    The Effects of Xenophobia on South Africa-Nigeria Relations: Attempting a Retrospective Study

    International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) ISSN (Online): 2319 – 7722, ISSN (Print): 2319 – 7714 www.ijhssi.org ||Volume 8 Issue 08 Ser. II || Aug. 2019 || PP 39-48 The effects of Xenophobia on South Africa-Nigeria Relations: Attempting a Retrospective Study. Bibi Farouk Ibrahim, Ph.D., Ishaka Dele, Humphrey Ukeaja Department of Political Science and International Relations University of Abuja, Abuja. Department of Political Science and International Relations University of Abuja, Abuja. Department of Political Science and International Relations University of Abuja, Abuja. Corresponding Author; Bibi Farouk Ibrahim ABSTRACT: The underlying causes of xenophobia are complex and varied. Xenophobia has to do with contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or of people from different countries or cultures. Unemployment and mounting poverty among South Africans at the bottom of the economic ladder have provoked fears of the competition that better educated and experienced migrants can represent. South Africa’s long track-record of violence as a means of protest and the targeting of foreigners in particular; and, the documented tensions over migration policy and the scale of repatriation serve a very good explanation for its xenophobia. It was clear that while most of the attacks were directed against foreign, primarily African, migrants, that this was not the rule. Attacks were also noted against Chinese-speakers, Pakistani migrants as well as against South Africans from minority language groups (in the conflict areas). Settlements that have recently experienced the expression of ‘xenophobic’ violence have also been the site of violent and other forms of protest around other issues, most notably service delivery.
  • Jihadist and Salafi Discourses in Sudanic Africa: Boko Haram and the Emerging Terror Network in Muslim West Africa Safar, 1438 - November 2016

    Jihadist and Salafi Discourses in Sudanic Africa: Boko Haram and the Emerging Terror Network in Muslim West Africa Safar, 1438 - November 2016

    17 Dirasat Jihadist and Salafi Discourses in Sudanic Africa: Boko Haram and the Emerging Terror Network in Muslim West Africa Safar, 1438 - November 2016 Amidu Sanni Professor of Middle Eastern and African Studies Lagos State University, Nigeria. Jihadist and Salafi Discourses in Sudanic Africa: Boko Haram and the Emerging Terror Network in Muslim West Africa Amidu Sanni Professor of Middle Eastern and African Studies Lagos State University, Nigeria. 3 4 Dirasat No. 17 Safar, 1438 - November 2016 “The Qur’an teaches that we must shun democracy, we must shun the constitution, [and] we must shun Western education” Abubaker Shekau-BH leader (Agbiboa 2015). 5 6 Dirasat No. 17 Safar, 1438 - November 2016 © King Faisal Center for research and Islamic Studies, 2017 King Fahd National Library Cataloging-In-Publication Data Sanni, Amidu Jihadist and Salafi Discourses in Sudanic Africa, / Amidu Sanni - Riyadh, 2017 42 p ; 16.5 x 23 cm ISBN: 978-603-8206-15-7 1 - Islam - Africa, West - History - 2 - Al-Jihad 3- Muslims - Africa - History I - Title 966 dc 1438/4518 L.D. no. 1438/4518 ISBN: 978-603-8206-15-7 Table of Content Abstract 9 Introduction 10 At the Root of Jihadism in Sudanic Africa 12 Sudanic Africa in the Discourse on Salafism 14 Before the Boko Haram: The Antecedents 16 The Outset of Jihadi Salafism 17 The Boko Haram: A Precursor 20 The New Boko Haram “Caliphate” 25 The Boko Haram and “Islamic State” Partnership 30 Proposals for A Solution 31 Bibliography 35 7 8 Dirasat No. 17 Safar, 1438 - November 2016 Abstract From the Almoravid’s invasion of Ghana in 1062 until the Moroccan conquest of the Songhay Empire in 1591 that, allegedly, was not “sufficiently Muslim,” Africa south of the Sahara has been exposed to a “purification of Islam” project.
  • The Jihadi Industry: Assessing the Organizational, Leadership And

    The Jihadi Industry: Assessing the Organizational, Leadership And

    The Jihadi Industry: Assessing the Organizational, Leadership, and Cyber Profiles Report to the Office of University Programs, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security July 2017 National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence Led by the University of Maryland 8400 Baltimore Ave., Suite 250 • College Park, MD 20742 • 301.405.6600 www.start.umd.edu National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence About This Report The authors of this report are Gina Ligon, Michael Logan, Margeret Hall, Douglas C. Derrick, Julia Fuller, and Sam Church at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Questions about this report should be directed to Dr. Gina Ligon at [email protected]. This report is part of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) project, “The Jihadi Industry: Assessing the Organizational, Leadership, and Cyber Profiles” led by Principal Investigator Gina Ligon. This research was supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s Office of University Programs through Award Number #2012-ST-061-CS0001, Center for the Study of Terrorism and Behavior (CSTAB 1.12) made to START to investigate the role of social, behavioral, cultural, and economic factors on radicalization and violent extremism. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S.
  • Boko Haram Stands at a Crossroads: Is the Era of Shekau Over ?

    Boko Haram Stands at a Crossroads: Is the Era of Shekau Over ?

    Boko Haram Stands at a Crossroads: Is the Era of Shekau Over ? Dr. David Doukhan May 2021 Boko Haram Stands at a Crossroads: Is the Era of Shekau Over? Since May 21st, 2021, all eyes have been focused on the elimination of Boko Haram’s leader Abu Baku Shekau. History shows us, that since 2009, Shekau has been allegedly killed four time on the battlefield. The last time, by the way, in 2016, he was only 'fatally wounded'. Each time, following his death announcement, like a phoenix in a well-prepared video, he reappears completely alive and well. In his speeches, he seems very comfortable, in full control and confidence, he speaks in the native Hausa language, spiced with verses from the Koran, in Arabic. Overall, he insists that he is alive and 'only by the will of God he will die' ([…] should know that he could not die except by the will of Allah […]). 1 Shekau is wanted by the United States (a bounty of $7 million was placed on his head).2 According to ISWAP (Islamic State of West Africa Province)3, Abu Bakar Shekau, Boko Haram’s leader, has barricaded himself with some of his followers and dozens of fighters in the thick forest of Sambisa. His hiding place was attacked by more than 30 armored vehicles carrying heavy weapons assisted by dozens of ISWAP fighters mounted on motorcycles. The attackers forced his fighters and bodyguards to surrender. According to their reports, Shekau chose to blow himself up rather than 1 About Shekau who died and was resurrected several times see the link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37476453 2 On June 21, 2012, the U.S.