While boko haram cant be neatly characterized as an insurgency or terrorist organization, its origins appear rooted in grievances over poor governance and sharp inequality in nigerian society. 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, a movement claiming to act in the name of islam, has killed tens of thousands of people in nigeria and the neighboring countries of niger, chad, and cameroon. Boko haram bh is one of these insurgent groups that began small and later spread outside the control of their host government. The humanitarian fallout from cameroons struggle against. Start has compiled the following background information on the history and networking relationships of boko haram, and updated data from a previous background report on the group.
Surviving boko haram from nigeria to cameroon youtube. The nigerian army has debunked the report that the eccentric boko haram leader, abubakar shekau has fled to cameroon following the bombardment of their hideouts in sambisa forest, north east of the country. In may 2014, cameroon declared war on boko haram at the paris summit. The threat was acted upon when boko haram conducted several suicide bombings and assassinations around the country as well as carrying out a prison break in bauchi, which freed close to 700 inmates. Boko haram kidnapped the wife of cameroon deputy prime minister, amadou ali, in an attack on the town of kolofata in northern cameroon. A key question is what the consequences of the conflict with boko haram will be for the cohesion of cameroons heterogeneous society, which has for years tended to be more drifting apart than coming together. The boko haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist group boko haram started an armed rebellion against the government of nigeria. Islamic caliphate if boko haram can moderate its extremist tactics in order to tap into the vast reserves of antigovernment sentiment and religious fundamentalism in the north. Boko haram insurgency, youth mobility and better life in the far. Ansaru by origin a splinter of boko haram, ansarus base is in kano and kaduna.
At least 100 boko haram militants killed by cameroon army. Cameroon has become a hub for boko haram ideological infiltration, and other reports suggest that boko haram is using cameroon as a place of. Fighting boko haram in cameroon the wider image reuters. In addition, much larger numbers appear to acquiesce to what boko haram is doing. The 89 suspects were convicted by a cameroonian military court for their role. Cameroon conflict insights vol 1 conflict insight and. Pdf an economic analysis of boko harams activities in the chad. Regional offensive made up of 8,700 troops seeks to defeat the armed group, but its fighting back with kidnapped girls.
Boko haram insurgency boko haram has carried out hundreds of attacks in northern cameroon, which shares a porous border with the groups stronghold in northeast nigeria. Boko haram periodically conducts attacks beyond this area. The upsurge in boko harams assault in cameroons far north region has resulted in the flight and internal displacements of large parts of the. The group appears to have used northern cameroon as a rear base for years before beginning to operate more openly there in 20. The threat from boko haram and ansaru the henry jackson society 7 leadership have recently surfaced.
Boko harams sixyearold insurgency has pitted neighbour against neighbour, and cost more than 00 lives. Boko haram and its economic consequences fair observer. To consolidate gains and bring lasting peace to the far north, the government must. However the group members call themselves jamaah alahlu alsunnah li aldawah wa aljihad. Confronting boko haram crisis group africa report n241, 16 november 2016 page ii the war has nonetheless had a negative effe ct on the countrys economy and has created ethnic and social cleavages, as seen in the stigmatisation of the kanuri people in the far north, often indiscriminately associated with the jihadist group. Cameroon has been using witchcraft to fight boko haram. To consolidate gains and bring lasting peace to the far north, the government must now shift to longterm socioeconomic development, countering religious radicalism and reinforcing public services. Akaoua babiana, along with 27 others who had been kidnapped by boko haram on other occasions, were freed in. Boko haram insurgency in northern cameroon and nigeria. Hundreds of hostages held by the islamic terrorist group boko haram were freed over the weekend after a joint raid by cameroonian and nigerian forces. Due to nigerias inability to combat it, bh is now affecting the social. The hausa applied the term boko to western forms of education so when the term haram is appended to it the intent is. Examining the boko haram insurgency in northern nigeria and the quest for a permanent resolution of the crisis joseph olukayode akinbi ph. Boko haram, cameroons similar characteristics to nigeria, such as a relatively poor majority muslim north and a wealthier majority christian south, make it an ideal recruiting ground for boko haram.
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. Boko haram took advantage of a distracted military and attacked the unprotected town of gamboru ngala, reportedly killing up to 300 civilians. A more ominous if less likely outcome could be the somaliazation of nigeria, if boko haram can accelerate nigerias centrifugal forces ethno. However, it has mounted operations involving at least 500 operatives, implying several thousand members and affiliates leadership, 20. Boko haram insurgency is affecting security, economy. Other boko haram commanders, including the christmas day 2011 church bombings mastermind, kabiru sokoto, also have sought refuge in. Indeed, covert tactics have been the main vehicle by which boko haram has projected its threat to the northwest and central belt of nigeria, as well as beyond its borders to cameroon, chad and niger.
Cameroon nigeria boko haram in north east nigeria nigeria security network, march 2015 marte, recaptured mubi, recaptured in november 2014. 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. Pdf this study proposes to retrace boko haram atrocities in cameroon as well as the history of international cooperation against the islamist. Says no terrorist commander arrested in bauchi on feb. Today, bh has expanded its operational reach outside of nigeria and inside the neighboring countries of niger, chad, and cameroon. Fears of boko haram in cameroon jump to media player thomas fessy reports from cameroon on fears that the islamist militant group boko haram is infiltrating the country from neighbouring nigeria. Adama simila wears a knife tied to his belt by a piece of rope, his only protection against boko haram, the nigerian islamist insurgents who have repeatedly targeted his home town in remote northern cameroon. There is significant distrust between the cameroonian military and northern muslim populations, and numerous recorded instances of human rights abuses linked. Dealing with boko haram defectors in the lake chad basin. In the tracks of boko haram in cameroon crisis group. A large part of boko harams calculations, rather, have been focused on its covert front and on war avoidance altogether. It does not indicate territorial control by the group.
Boko haram attacks in northern cameroon continue unabated the. Today, boko haram is ostensibly weaker and is not able to conduct largescale attacks any more. Since then, boko haram has intensified its activities in the far north region of the country, making cameroon the second most targeted country, in terms of attacks, by the sect. Nigerias boko haram begins to destabilise cameroon. Boko haram leader abu shekau reportedly fled to ngaoundere in northern cameroon after boko haram s january 20, 2012 attacks in kano, which killed 186 people. Boko haram emerged around 2002 as a local islamic group. Threenation offensive drives boko haram to cameroon rampage the nigerian islamic militants killed 90 civilians in cameroon wednesday after the african union authorized a 7,500strong force from. The boko haram conflict in cameroon why is peace so elusive. Most of the towns captured during boko harams recent offensive have now been retaken, including baga, bama, gamboru ngala, goniri, dikwa, buni yadi, marte, and madagali. This study proposes to retrace boko haram atrocities in cameroon as well as the history of international cooperation against the islamist sect since the declaration of the war against it in 2014.
Boko haram militants have been suspected of carrying out suicide bombings particularly in cameroons far north region. Table of contents 1 3 5 7 9 12 15 17 20 22 24 25 27 28 29 30 acknowledgments the author introduction inadequate explanations of boko haram s rise local and global roots. The word boko haram means western education is forbidden. 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 army claims it has dismantled most boko haram cells in cameroon, killed about 2,000 members in fighting and arrested more than 1,000 suspects since 2014. The state of insecurity engendered by boko haram insurgency in nigeria. D department of history, adeyemi federal university of education p.
On august 26, 2011 boko haram detonated a carbomb at the united nations headquarters in. Boko haram thus impacts upon an already fragile context in cameroon, where it could have direct and indirect negative effects. Complete the form for your free download of the africa reports 2019 list of the 100 most influential africans. Cameroon, nigeria join forces to free boko haram hostages. Recent attacks suspectively conducted by boko haram in the north of nigeria and along its border with cameroon and chad are already inflicting damage to local. Due to overlap of ethnic identities with religion it often, unfortunately, finds expression in religion. Since then, boko haram has intensified its activities in the far north region of the. The far north region of cameroon is the theatre of horrendous violence by the terrorist sect boko haram.