Shekau, boko haram bombed major targets, including in the capital, abuja, and perpetrated regular assassinations and raids in the northeast. More a mosque based community than a tightly organized movement, boko haram centered on the salafi preacher muhammad yusuf 19702009. Boko haram was founded upon the principles of the khawaarij advocating sharia law. Boko haram appears to associate with to the sunnisalafi jihadis who call for the use of violence to ensure a return to the original form of islam, and the rejection of everything deemed unislamic. Nigerias battle with boko haram council on foreign. Particularly in some parts of northern nigeria where boko haram have taken over through planting of bombs as well as brutalized attack on innocent souls which history have shown that the attack is not from boko haram alone but some group have been using the privilege of existence of boko haram to nurse their personal and ethnical agenda through. Boko haram began to target schools in 2010, killing hundreds of students by 2014. 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. Muslim conflict, it can be seen that the intrareligious dispute adherents of islam played a key role in boko haram s creation. 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. 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. People committed to the prophets teachings for propagation and jihad, from 2015 also called islamic state in west africa iswa or islamic states west african province iswap, islamic sectarian movement, founded in 2002 by muhammed yusuf in northeastern nigeria, that since 2009 has carried out assassinations and largescale acts of violence in that country.
The boko haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist group boko haram started an. It has been noted that boko haram is regarded as terrorist group that has affected nigerias economy especially in the north, attempts would be made to see how this sect has really affected the economy of nigeria and possibly recommend lasting solutions to. While it borrows tactics from transnational terrorist organizations and receives small amounts of training and funding from foreign jihadists, the group is most accurately viewed as a. This has led to boko haram members physically, psychologically and sexually abusing them, using and selling them as sex slaves andor brides of forced marriages with their fighters. 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. Boko haram, islamic sectarian movement founded in 2002 in northeastern nigeria. History of boko haram from muhammad yusuf to abubakar. Thus boko haram s ideological propaganda for recruitment and structural and strategic organisation has hinged on the principle of rejecting western.
The analysis has identified the following as key strengths of 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. A spokesperson for the group said such attacks would continue as long as the nigerian government continued to interfere with traditional islamic education. Boko haram follows a purely military insurgency model and currently has no political front. 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. Its stated goal is to overthrow the secular government of nigeria and replace it with an islamic system. Introduction boko haram is a salafijihadi muslim group that has operated in northeastern nigeria since 2002. The nature of nigerias boko haram war, 20102015 universiteit. 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. Terrorism according to lodge is an illegitimate means of attempting to effect political change by the indiscriminate use of violence lodge 1988. History of the emergence of boko haram there is no consensus among scholars on the actual time that the islamic militant group called boko haram emerged in the country however, it was revealed that the jama atul ahlus sunnah lidda awati wal jihad brethren united in the pursuit of holy war, also known as. During the late 1990s or early 2000sit is unclear precisely whenyusuf emerged as the groups leader.
Nur was thirdincommand under yusuf and secondincommand under shekau. 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. While boko haram appears to be part of an international terrorist movement, their real agenda is local, with roots stretching back several centuries. Boko haram took shape in the northeastern nigerian city of maiduguri, borno state, in the early 2000s. In may 2014, cameroon declared war on boko haram at the paris summit. Founded in the early 2000s as a salafist sunni muslim. Two years ago the world was gripped when boko haram kidnapped 279 school girls from the nigerian town of chibok. Boko haram, officially known as jamaat ahl assunnah liddawah waljihad arabic. A history of violence in central africa by scott maceachern. Mar 26, 2021 boko haram and the islamic states west africa province since 2009, an islamist insurgency based in northeastern nigeria has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered a massive humanitarian crisis in the lake chad basin region of nigeria, cameroon, chad, and niger see figure 1.
Boko haram draws, among other things, upon historical references to the islamic empire of dan fodios. Like mohammmed marwa and the yan tatsine, yusuf mohammed sought to gather impressionable youth who felt abandoned by the government and disenfranchised by an economic system which favoured only. The history of boko haram cannot be disentangled from the immense political change nigeria underwent during the 1999 transition to democracy. Interrogating the emergence of boko haram in nigeria this section gives a brief history of the emergence of boko haram sect in nigeria, examines. Boko haram, a militant group based in nigerias northwestern states of yobe and borno, claimed responsibility. This analy sis examines boko haram from a historical perspective, viewing the move. The origins of boko haramand why it matters by audu. Rise of boko haram world history free pdf download.
May 06, 2014 a brief history of boko haram boko haram members prefer to be known by their arabic name jamaatu ahlis sunna liddaawati waljihad meaning people committed to the propagation of the. Since 2009 the group has carried out largescale acts of violence. Boko haram echoed slavetaking practices of girls and young women for sexual purposes by algerian islamists in the 1990s and early 2000s. Yusuf, the founder of boko haram, was killed by government forces while in custody, allegedly while trying to escape, after the july 2009 uprisings in northeastern nigeria mamman nur 2002 to january 2012. Boko haram has also been translated as western influence is a sin. 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. Despite declaring a caliphate, boko haram has made little attempt at governing the territory it has captured. It also probes boko haram s international connections, including its loose former ties to alqaida and its 2015 pledge of allegiance to isis. There is also a history of muslim sects growing in the cities of northern nigeria. An assessment of strengths, vulnerabilities, and policy options from previous hit. This comprehensive report examines boko haram s extremist rhetoric, leadership, and history of violent activities. 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. Nigerias battle with boko haram council on foreign relations.
Introduction the insurgency launched in 2009 by boko haram, a radical revivalist islamist movement established earlier in bo rno state, in nigeri as north east and adjacent to lake chad, is now regional, affecting the border areas of chad, niger and cameroon. 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. Boko harams origins in 1992, after the western liberalcapitalist victory in the cold war, algeria was among the first african countries to hold democratic elections, which its military rulers. Boko haram thoughts were framed within the radical islamic discourse with which mohammed yusuf had become familiar. The boko haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist group boko haram started an armed rebellion against the government of nigeria. Jan 01, 2019 boko haram represents the outcome of dynamic, locally grounded interactions between religion and politics p. Historical evoulution of boko haram the history and development of boko haram insurgents group in north eastern nigeria can be divided into two phase. Mar 27, 2014 looking back at boko haram s history, which is marred by muslim vs. The death of muhammad yusuf the turning point between boko haram and the nigerian government came through a state imposed helmet law for motorcyclists. Boko haram s insurgency is fueled by nigerias history, geopolitical structure, ethnoreligious composition and socioeconomic disparities.
Boko haram is one of the deadliest jihadist groups in the world, and the crisis surrounding. The untold story of boko harams origins history news. Jun 09, 2014 boko haram does not engage in nigerias political system out of an adherence to a fundamentalist form of islam, which forbids participation unless the system is based on sharia, or islamic law. 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. Boko haram metamorphosed from a local insurgency to a highly sophisticated fighting force capable of challenging the nigerian military, which says a great. 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. Boko haram is a radical islamist movement shaped by its nigerian context and reflecting. Boko haram, which translates roughly to western education is forbidden, is a sunni islamist militant organization that opposes western education and influence in nigeria. The area combines rich agriculture, pastoralism and fishing and is a magnet for migrants from all over the sahel, leading to tensions over control of resources. This means that maos theory of revolutionary war can be applied to the boko haram crisis in nigeria in order to find more effective methods than have been used so far by the government of nigeria to fight boko haram.
Alexander thurston argues that boko haram is a hyperlocal phenomenon and its rise can only be explained by taking into account the religious and political marketplace of maiduguri, nigeria. Boko haram has kidnapped large amounts of young children on several occasions. Mar 31, 2014 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. Massacre possibly deadliest in boko harams history. Much has been written about the origins of boko haram. An insurgency led by the islamist group has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions more in recent years.
The movement is unique in that it combines a sectarian, radical islamic agenda with violence. A comparative analysis of boko haram and alqaeda when one takes an indepth comparative analysis of boko haram and mainstream terrorist networks on the global political landscape, it is. Boko haram and the islamic states west africa province since 2009, an islamist insurgency based in northeastern nigeria has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered a massive humanitarian crisis in the lake chad basin region of nigeria, cameroon, chad, and niger see figure 1. An indepth account of a group that is menacing africas most populous and richest country, the book also illuminates the dynamics of civil war in africa and jihadist movements in other parts of the. The untold story of boko harams origins history news network. Boko haram s concepts of islamic teachings and approachesthe message of boko haram, as outlined by mohammed yusuf, derived from and fed into the existing discourse and ideology of islamic reformers worldwide. Boko haram s objective is to establish islamic rule in nigeria through imposition of sharia law throughout the country. The name boko haram is usually translated as western education is forbidden. In 2015 the group began calling itself islamic state in west africa. Boko haram s presence in chad has been most strongly felt around lake chad, which lies primarily within chadian territory. The rise of boko haram in nigeria combating terrorism.
The group that would come to be known as boko haram was founded by yusuf mohammed in 2002 in maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern state of borno. Identity, religion, boko haram, poverty, northern 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. The historical evolution of the boko haram movement with the aim of. Among the recipients was mohammed yusuf, boko haram s founder. Since 2009, boko haram has transformed itself from a cultlike religious movement into a revolutionary insurgent organization. Pdf terrorism in west africa boko harams evolution. Nigerias history of poor governance and extreme poverty in the north. Boko haram messaging has ebbed and flowed throughout its history, while the types of. The origins of boko haramand why it matters by audu bulama.
After a violent suppression in 2009, boko haram resurfaced in the fall of 2010 with a high profile campaign of assassinations and attacks throughout northern nigeria. Boko haram is an isisaligned jihadist group based in nigeria. The hausa applied the term boko to western forms of education so when the term haram is appended to it the intent is. Boko haram accounts for 124 of those events see figure 1. History of boko haram from muhammad yusuf to abubakar shekau.
On august 26, 2011, a suicide bomber detonated an explosivesladen vehicle at a united nations compound in nigerias capital, abuja, killing at least 21 people. Aug 08, 2018 boko haram is a toptier threat to africas most populous country. 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. The name boko haram is a hausa name which only the hausa peoples understood and is a compound name comprised of hausa and arabic. Its founder mohammad yusuf was heavily influenced by the opinions of ibn taymiyyah, a fourteenth century scholar of islamic fundamentalism. Researchers who view boko haram as a nigerian unsurgency need to understand its history as part of panafrican islamist networks. Along the way, the paper considers the social dynamics of poverty and relative economic deprivation in northern and especially northeastern nigeria, and their contributions to the spiralling violence of boko haram. 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. Earlier, boko haram hit the headquarters of the united nations in abuja, nigerias federal capital, in a suicide attack, leaving at least 23 people killed and more than 80 injured. Jun 06, 2014 b oko haram was founded in 2002 by a group of islamic clerics in borno, nigeria. Nigeria, boko haram, religious movement, militant islam. Since the abduction of 276 highschool girls in chibok, borno state, nigeria, in 2014, boko haram has demonstrated that slavery was a way of handling prisonersofwar. During a fourth phase, from 20 to 2015, boko haram controlled territory in northeastern nigeria.
Members of the group refused to obey the law and after several were arrested wide spread riots broke out in the region leading to a strong response from nigerian security forces. Boko haram and the islamic states west africa province. The purpose of this essay is to examine the origins of boko haram, how the government has reacted, and propose solutions to the deeply rooted issues in northern. Its founder, mohammed yusuf, was a dedicated fundamentalist, whose thinking was heavily influenced by wahhabi. Boko haram in context the roots of boko haram lie in the islamic history of northern nigeria, in which for some 800 years powerful sultanates centered around the hausa cities close to kano and the sultanate of borno roughly the region of the states of borno and yobe together with parts of chad constituted high muslim civilizations.
Boko haram is a regional insurgent group composed largely of ethnic kanuri members with predominantly local aims. 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 present a highly convincing account of the historical development of this jihadist movement. While the name boko haram, which loosely translates from the hausa as western education is evilforbidden, may sound slightly absurd to an outsider, it is appropriate if one considers the established narrative the organisation is drawing on that the nigerian state is morally corrupt, fueled by greed, and. Frictions with shekau lead nurs followers to form a splinter group.
901 1019 4 1085 1100 329 1004 981 104 1209 454 1364 1253 1251 1657 1689 2 1026 122 1528 1235 1059 405 188 1462 1044 110 389 1753 1182 1594 177 1244 327 634 1831 1091