Boko Haram insurgency

The Boko Haram insurgency is an armed rebellion in Nigeria. It began in July 2009. The group is a militant Islamist and jihadist organization. Its primary goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government. They also seek to establish an Islamic State in the region. This conflict is part of a larger history of sectarian tension. Nigeria has a large Muslim population and a large Christian population. Most Muslims live in the north. Most Christians live in the central and southern parts of the country. This religious divide has caused tension for many years.

The movement began in 2002. A man named Mohammed Yusuf founded the group. He wanted to oppose Western education. In 2009, the Nigerian government investigated the group's activities. They believed members were arming themselves. This led to violent clashes in several cities. These cities included Bauchi, Maiduguri, Potiskum, and Wudil. About 700 people died during these clashes. The government killed Mohammed Yusuf while he was in police custody. After his death, the movement fractured into different autonomous groups.

Abubakar Shekau became the de facto leader of the insurgents. He managed to keep many different factions from fighting each other. Shekau focused on attacking the Nigerian government. His group used many tactics to fight. They used fuel-laden motorcycles and bows with poison arrows. The group was supported by other jihadist organizations. These included al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab. The violence became much more intense in 2014. During that year, 10,849 people died. The group also began seizing large areas of land in northeastern Nigeria.

The conflict eventually spread beyond Nigeria's borders. It became a major regional conflict in sub-Saharan Africa. The violence reached Cameroon, Chad, Mali, and Niger. In March 2015, Shekau tried to improve his international standing. He aligned the group with the Islamic State. This created a new group called the Islamic State's West Africa Province, or ISWAP. A Nigeria-led coalition of African and Western countries launched an offensive in 2015. This forced the insurgents to retreat. They hid in the Sambisa Forest and near Lake Chad.

Internal disagreements caused the movement to split again. Dissidents challenged Shekau's leadership. They allied themselves with the central command of the Islamic State. This resulted in a violent split between two factions. One group continued as Boko Haram under Shekau. The other group operated as ISWAP under Abu Musab al-Barnawi. These two groups often fought each other. They also fought against local governments. In 2018 and 2019, both groups launched new offensives. They both grew stronger during these years.

At its peak in the mid-2010s, Boko Haram was very deadly. It was the world's deadliest terrorist organization. The Nigerian government tried to find a way to end the violence. The administration of President Jonathan offered an amnesty. An amnesty is a pardon for people who have committed crimes. The government wanted to listen to different ethnic groups. They hoped this would end the fighting. However, the sect rejected the offer. They claimed they were fighting to create an Islamic state. They also claimed the government was committing atrocities against Muslims.

Significant changes occurred in the leadership recently. In May 2021, ISWAP attacked Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest. During this fight, Shekau was killed. It is reported he used a suicide vest. Later, in August 2021, Abu Musab al-Barnawi was also killed. These deaths led to many people surrendering. On April 5, 2022, 51,114 rebels and their families surrendered. This group included 11,398 men, 15,381 women, and 24,335 children. By July 2023, this number rose to over 100,000 people.

The history of Nigeria includes many layers of complexity. The country was formed when Britain joined the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914. Earlier, the British had defeated the Sokoto Caliphate. In 1961, the Northern Cameroons joined Nigeria. This added more people to the northern Muslim population. Religious tensions have existed since the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1999, several states began using Sharia law. Sharia is a system of civil and criminal law. This change caused controversy and riots between Muslim and Christian communities. These historical factors all relate to the modern insurgency.