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Boko Haram
Overview
• Background of Boko Haram• 2009 Uprising• Leadership• Areas of Operation & Factions• Malian Conflict & State of Emergency• Foreign Terrorist Organization Designation• Tactics• Abductions• Al Qaeda Links?• Future Implications
Boko Haram: Background
• Formed in 2002 in Maiduguri, Borno state
• Muslim cleric Mohammed Yusuf• Official Arabic Name
o Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihado “People Committed to the Propagation of the
Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”
• Initially focused on opposing Western educationo Boko Haram, “Western Education is Forbidden”
Image Credit: BBC
Boko Haram: Background
• Established a religious complexo Mosque, Islamic schoolo Poor Muslim families
• Eventually became focused on establishing an Islamic state in Nigeriao School became recruiting ground
• Against any Western political or social activityo Voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers, receiving secular education
• Fighters currently numbering in the hundreds to thousands
2009 Uprising
• Boko Haram carried out spate of attacks o Targeted government buildings and police stations in Maiduguri and Bauchi
state
• Prompted shoot-outs on the streets in July 2009o Hundreds of Boko Haram supporters killedo Residents fled Maiduguri
• Security forces seized Boko Haram’s headquarters• Captured Boko Haram fighters and killed Yusuf• Fighters regrouped under new leadership
o Abubakar Shekau, current leader
Abubakar Shekau
• Born in Shekau village in Yobe state
• Late 30s to mid-40s• Believed responsible for making
Boko Haram more violent• Not seen in public since the
death of Yusufo Emerges in videos and pictures online
• Met Yusuf through Mamman Nuro Nur masterminded August 2011 bombing
of United Nations complex in Abuja
Image Credit: AFP
Abubakar Shekau
• Fluent in Kanuri, Hausa and Arabico Now adds English to his videos
• Does not communicate directly with foot soldierso Communicates with select cell leaders
• Also serves as Boko Haram’s spiritual leadero Well-versed in theology
• U.S. offering $7 million for information about his location
Image Credit: NY Post
Areas of Operation & Factions• First confrontations with Nigerian security forces occurred
in 2003 and 2004o 2003: Compound located two miles from Nigero 2004: Near Gwoza in the Mandara Mountains along Cameroon border
• Boko Haram suffered losseso Sent members to the Sahel, Sudan, Pakistan and Afghanistan to receive funds
• 2009 death of Yusufo Boko Haram members fled to Nigeria’s border region, the Sahel, Somalia, Chad
and Sudan
Areas of Operation & Factions• 2010 to 2012
o Boko Haram based in Maiduguri and northeastern region of Nigeriao Other members received training from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
and al-Shabaab and established cells in northwestern Nigeria
• Formation of Ansaru (northwestern cells)o Led by AQIM militant Khalid al-Barnawio Specialized in sophisticated bombings, “hallmarks of al Qaeda”o Boko Haram claimed all attacks until al-Barnawi led a cell that kidnapped an
Italian and British engineer in March 2012o Claimed the attack under “al Qaeda in the Lands Beyond the Sahel”o January 2012: Al-Barnawi formed Boko Haram off-shoot, Ansaruo Broke off from Boko Haram to protest killing of 186 Muslim civilians in Kano
Areas of Operation & Factions• Kano remained under influence
of Mamman Nur (UN headquarters attack mastermind)
• Second-in-command to Shekauo Received training from AQIM and al-
Shabaab
• Attacked “un-Islamic” targetso UN headquarterso Plot on the U.S. ambassador in Abujao Bombed motor parks in Kano and Abujao More “transnational” than Shekau
Image Credit: Nairaland.com
2011 Attack on United Nations Headquarters• August 26, 2011• Car bombing killed at least
21 people, 60 injured• Headquarters for 400 UN
employeeso Unclear how many were in the
building at the time
• Only attack against the WestImage Credit: Reuters
Malian Conflict, Influence on Boko Haram• Main Boko Haram shifted toward Borno state in 2013• French military intervention in Mali in January 2013
believed to have revitalized Boko Haram• March to May 2013
o Members of Boko Haram, Ansaru and others who learned from militants in Mali launched attacks along Borno’s border with Niger and Cameroon
o Mounted weapons on 4x4 vehicles, kidnapped government officials and relatives in exchange for ransoms of $10,000 to $300,000
o First time in Nigeria
State of Emergency in 3 Northeastern States• In response to violence in early 2013, Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan issued state of emergency in May• Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states• Boko Haram members left Maiduguri and retreated from
northeastern Borno and Lake Chad to mountainous rural areas near Gwoza (southern Borno)• Gwoza is located about 15 miles from Chibok where the schoolgirls were
abducted• Gwoza considered to be a Boko Haram stronghold now
Foreign Terrorist Organization Designation• Boko Haram and Ansaru designated foreign terrorist
organizations by the U.S. Department of State o November 2013
• Boko Haramo Links to AQIM, responsible for killing thousands, targeted the UN headquarters
• Ansaruo Kidnapped and executed seven international construction workers
• Prohibits providing or attempting to provide material support
Tactics
• Armed militants storming cities/towns/villages on motorbikeso Kill police, politicians, anyone criticizing the insurgencyo Armed with heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, night-vision
goggles, satellite phones
• Bombings (planted/car/suicide)o Churches, bus stations, military barracks, restaurants
• Disguiseso Often wear official military uniforms to trick their victims
• Snap road blockso Increase in attacks on villagers and travelers since August 2013
• Abductions
Abductions
• April 14• 250+ schoolgirls taken from a school in Chibok, Borno
state• Reports that Boko Haram may have transferred girls to
Cameroon, Chad and Central African Republic
Image Credit: BBC
Abductions
• May 5• Boko Haram releases a video of
Shekau • Announcing the girls would be sold
as “slaves in the market”
• May 12• Demanded the release of Boko
Haram militants held in “Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Lagos and Abuja” in exchange for the girls Image Credit: NBC
Image Credit: The Guardian
International Response to Abductions
• U.S.o Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance supporto 16 troops from Africa Command at U.S. embassy in Abuja working with FBI and
intelligence teams to advise Nigeria’s security forceso 80 U.S. troops in Chad
• U.S., UK, Franceo Advisory team using aerial surveillance, satellite intercepts
• Chinao Vowed to help in the search
• Israelo Intelligence experts sent to Nigeria
International Response to Abductions
• Thursday, June 12• International meeting in
London• Nigeria’s Foreign Minister
Aminu Bashi Wali• Envoys from Benin, Chad,
Cameroon, Niger• UK, U.S., France, Canada,
European Union• Consider further measures to
improve regional coordination
Recent Attacks
• Over 3,300 killed by Boko Haram so far this year• April 14, Abuja
o Bomb buried underground explodes at bus station in Nyanya suburb; 71 killed, 124 injured
• May 1, Abujao Car bomb kills 19, injures 60 at bus station in Nyanya suburb
• May 6, Jos (central Nigeria)o Two bombings kill more than 120 people
• May 30, Gwoza (Borno state)o Emir of Gwoza killed
• June 2, Gwoza (Borno state)o Three villages raided, at least 200 people killed
Links to al Qaeda?
• Known links to AQIM and al-Shabaab in the past
• Remain locally focusedo No signs of global focus
• Considered too extreme for al Qaeda brando Killing of Muslim civilianso Kidnapping of young girls
• Abubakar Shekau stated Boko Haram’s aspirations of joining al Qaedao No public response from al Qaeda leadership
Image Credit: NPR
Implications
• No signs of violence abatingo Attacks nearly a daily occurrence since abductions
• Kidnappings likely to continueo Another 20 women and three men abducted from Garkin Fulani settlement last
Thursday
• Abductions could aid Boko Haram recruitment effortso Raised the group’s international profile
• Increased international pressure o Boko Haram may seek to target Western interests in southern Nigeria or abroad
• Boko Haram has the ability to destabilize Nigeria for years to come
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