Boko Haram

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The People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad[1], also known as Boko Haram ("Western education is sinful" in Hausa) is a Sunni Islamist paramilitary group responsible for killing thousands of people across Nigeria. Boko Haram is just one of many Islamist terrorist groups, another, Al-Shabab is active in Somalia and has porported links to Boko Haram. [2] Founded in 2002, targets of Boko Haram ranged from banks to bars to churches, although it focused mainly on state institutions including the police and army, and argues that it is fighting authoritarianism and corruption. Reuters reports that Boko Haram was responsible for 10,000 killings in 2014.[3]

The group also has kidnapped some western tourists, many Nigerians[wp], and has assassinated members of the Islamic establishment who are critics of the group.[4] Boko Haram has actively opposed polio vaccination.[5] The group claims inspiration from the Taliban and has demanded the implementation of sharia law in northern Nigeria.[6]

Boko Haram originally pledged allegiance to al Qaeda as leader of the global jihad, but then flip-flopped to demonstrate how meaningful its oaths are by pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as Caliph of all the Muslims[7]. After months of no response, Daesh finally acknowlged their subservience but has not granted them Wilayet (provincial) status or received them with equal respect and treatment given the Arab leaders of global jihad to date.

Reportedly, it has received funding from the Al-Muntada Trust.[8]

[edit] Threat

Boko Haram is a large threat to Nigeria, especially during election years. Many north Nigerian politicians have openly stated that Nigeria does not have the military capability to defeat Boko Haram and reports indicate this is true as Boko Haram's fighters are not only better armed but they are much more disciplined than Nigeria's military.[9] This is supported by the fact that Nigeria has asked for international help to defeat Boko Haram, after the group launched a 2014 terrorist attack that killed up to 2,000 Nigerians and used several small children as suicide bombers in yet other recent attacks.[10][11] The Council on Foreign Relations and the Congressional Research Service state Boko Haram was responsible for at least 5,000 deaths in the first half of 2014.

There are claims that Nigeria's northern politicians are supporting Boko Haram and these claims do have a degree of weight to them as there is some pretty strong evidence.[12]

What makes Boko Haram so tough to beat is a mixture of ethnic and religious tensions in Nigeria hampering a coordinated strike against Boko Haram, rampant corruption in both northern Nigeria and the Nigerian military along with low morale in the Nigerian military.[13]

Some military successes against Boko Haram in the Spring of 2015 have been attributed to South African mercenaries having joined the fight,[14] but the Nigerian army denies this (well, they would, wouldn't they?)

[edit] Footnotes

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