The boko haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist group boko haram started an armed rebellion against the government of nigeria. Cameroon is a traditional beneficiary of french military assistance. Pdf this study proposes to retrace boko haram atrocities in cameroon as well as the history of international cooperation. Cameroon has been using witchcraft to fight boko haram. The word boko haram means western education is forbidden. Dec 02, 2015 cameroons army, backed by a regional taskforce, has killed at least 100 members of the militant islamist boko haram group and freed 900 people it had held hostage, the west african countrys.
Cameroon, nigeria join forces to free boko haram hostages. Boko haram kills seven in cameroon channels television. They attacked darak again the following day, and a landmine they planted in zamga mayo tsanaga department injured eight troops. Examining the boko haram insurgency in northern nigeria and the quest for a permanent resolution of the crisis joseph olukayode akinbi ph. Jan 11, 2017 in the past two years, more than 1,500 cameroonians have died in the war against boko haram, while the violence has displaced 155,000 people, according to the government. Boko haram attacks cameroon with kidnapped girls cameroon. A threat to nigerian national security article pdf available in european scientific journal 1017. The group has carried out series of coordinated attacks against citizens, government officials, military forces, and foreigners in order to. Boko haram is an isisaligned jihadist group based in nigeria. Feb 09, 2017 a massive humanitarian crisis is boiling in africas lake chad basin region, stemming from violence waged by boko haram. 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.
Boko haram, the militant islamist group operating in northern nigeria, has been attracting increasing levels of attention as of may this year, when the group abducted 234 schoolgirls from chibok, in the northern state of borno. A large part of boko harams calculations, rather, have been focused on its covert front and on war avoidance altogether. The nature of nigerias boko haram war, 20102015 universiteit. D department of history, adeyemi federal university of education p. In may 2014, cameroon declared war on boko haram at the paris summit. Cameroons army, backed by a regional taskforce, has killed at least 100 members of the militant islamist boko haram group and freed 900 people. 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. The third is the relationship of boko haram with aqim and the tuareg rebels of northern mali. Cameroons military campaign against the boko haram insurgency started late but has met with partial success. Boko haram started carrying out attacks over the border in cameroons far north in 20. Akaoua babiana, along with 27 others who had been kidnapped by boko haram on other occasions, were freed in october 2014 3 killed, unknown wounded.
Frances support for multilateral efforts, ministry of foreign and european affairs, october 2009. According to loeil du sahel, as of june 30, at least 51 civilians had been victims of boko haram abductions, and some of them remained unaccounted for. 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. Seven people were killed when two suicide bombers, suspected to be members of nigerias boko haram jihadist group, attacked a village in northern cameroon on sunday, police and a. Yet messages are still downloaded and circulated offline. The name boko haram is a hausa name which only the hausa peoples understood and is a compound name comprised of hausa and arabic. At least 100 boko haram militants killed by cameroon army. In march, the government set up a number of military posts along cameroons northwestern border with nigeria in response to boko harams insurgency. Regional offensive made up of 8,700 troops seeks to defeat the armed group, but its fighting back with kidnapped girls. Christian churches and the boko haram insurgency in. 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. 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.
Nigerias boko haram begins to destabilise cameroon. However the group members call themselves jamaah alahlu alsunnah li aldawah wa aljihad. A new chapter in the fight against boko haram, international crisis group, report no. 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. Jan 30, 2018 boko haram started carrying out attacks over the border in cameroons far north in 20. In the tracks of boko haram in cameroon crisis group. The final section is an examination of the spiritual, humanitarian and relief services provided by.
Hundreds slaughtered by boko haram and abused by security forces 16 september 2015, 10. Akaoua babiana, along with 27 others who had been kidnapped by boko haram on other occasions, were freed in. Thus, the nigerian state needs to immediately cease their attacks on areas where boko haram is located, and seek to negotiate their terms. France responds to suspicions of complicity with boko haram and speaks of its involvement in. The lake chad region consists of parts of nigeria, niger, chad, and cameroon. Apr 30, 2019 despite this, and although others may have done so since, the cameroonian government lacks a clear policy on how to deal with the militants, according to an international crisis group report. Today, boko haram is ostensibly weaker and is not able to conduct largescale attacks any more. Boko haram sets churches on fire in latest attack on cameroon. The humanitarian fallout from cameroons struggle against. Interviews followed a semistructured interview guide and. Boko haram is a relatively new organization, having begun serious military operations against the nigerian government in 2009. 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.
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. They included 10 chinese workers and the wife of cameroon s viceprime. Boko haram has transformed into a transnational threat, thereby creating more concern for the international community. The activities of boko haram in the northeastern part of nigeria have. The terrorist organisation boko haram will determine cameroons mediumterm domestic and security agenda. Nigerias boko haram begins to destabilise cameroon inter. Boko haram sets churches on fire in latest attack on.
Boko haram primarily conducts offensive raids, assaults, and ambushes against thinlystretched and poorlyresourced nigerian security elements and civilians in northeastern nigeria. Jan 18, 2015 last year, 27 people seized in cameroon by suspected boko haram fighters were held for months before being freed in october. 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. Cameroon sentences 89 members of boko haram to death. Boko haram kidnapped the wife of cameroon deputy prime minister, amadou ali, in an attack on the town of kolofata in northern cameroon. On 21 november 2016, around 4060 boko haram members assaulted darak in cameroons far north region logone et chari department, killing six soldiers, the leader of the local vigilante committee and 16 fishermen. Boko haram currently operates throughout the republic of niger, chad, and cameroon. Boko harams sixyearold insurgency has pitted neighbour against neighbour, and cost more than 00 lives.
Fighting boko haram in cameroon the wider image reuters. Boko haram took advantage of a distracted military and attacked the unprotected town of gamboru ngala, reportedly killing up to 300 civilians. Dealing with boko haram defectors in the lake chad basin. To improve the security response to the boko haram threat to the government of cameroon. It opens up with a contextualization of boko haram in cameroons north. Responses to boko haram in the lake chad region gullivern. Cameroons north western boarder runs along the length of nigerias eastern boarder, stretching all the way to nigerias predominantly muslim north a boko haram stronghold. Last year, 27 people seized in cameroon by suspected boko haram fighters were held for months before being freed in october. The violence worsened after president paul biya vowed in may 2014 to declare war on the group. Mozogo, cameroon 1 failed attack a perpetrator tried to attack a rice distribution. Thus, the nigerian state needs to immediately cease their attacks on areas where boko haram is. The plight of refugees and the internally displaced from the boko haram conflict in cameroons far north is adding to the many burdens of an already impoverished.
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 has used niger, chad, and cameroon to hide, train, plan, recruit, and transit, historically focusing attacks on nigeria to avoid crackdowns in countries where it. The state of insecurity engendered by boko haram insurgency in nigeria. This is followed by an examination of the brutality meted out on christians and church property. On 12 january 2015, boko haram attacked a cameroon military base in kolofata. How boko haram specifically targets displaced people reliefweb. No single factor explains the emergence and rise of boko haram in the region. This comprehensive report examines boko harams extremist rhetoric, leadership, and history of violent activities. While the first frontal attack of boko haram against cameroon dates back to march 2014, the presence of members of the sect in.
Cameroon has become a hub for boko haram ideological infiltration, and other reports suggest that boko haram is using cameroon as a place of. 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. In the past two years, more than 1,500 cameroonians have died in the war against boko haram, while the violence has displaced 155,000 people, according to the government. Influence from the islamic state in iraq and the levant isil, to whom boko haram recently swore allegiance, can be seen in an improved and increasing boko haram. All these suggest the importance and gravity of boko haram conflict in the subregion but this essay focuses on the net effect of boko haram on cameroon. Boko haram insurgents kidnapped civilians, including women and children, during numerous attacks in the far north region. Cameroon has sentenced 89 members of nigerian militant group boko haram to death. 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. Boko haram emerged around 2002 as a local islamic group. 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. 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. A massive humanitarian crisis is boiling in africas lake chad basin region, stemming from violence waged by boko haram. 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 tens of thousands more have died amid the broader crisis that boko haram precipitated. Boko haram claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a procession of shiite muslims killing at least 21, on 30 november 2015 near the village of dakozoye.
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. The boko haram conflict in cameroon why is peace so elusive. The hausa applied the term boko to western forms of education so when the term haram is appended to it the intent is. The movement is unique in that it combines a sectarian, radical islamic agenda with violence. National schools in regional involvement in subsaharan africa. Boko haram claims to have substantial support in the north, and whatever their numbers, they grow each time retaliation is carried out by the government. Cameroon s military campaign against the boko haram insurgency started late but has met with partial success.
Some 850 alleged members of boko haram, which pledged allegiance to the islamic state militant group isis in. Mar 31, 2016 outside nigeria, cameroon has been hardest hit by boko haram, which now operates out of bases in the mandara mountains, sambisa forest and lake chad areas straddling the borders between cameroon, nigeria, chad and niger. Mar 11, 2012 boko haram claims to have substantial support in the north, and whatever their numbers, they grow each time retaliation is carried out by the government. The history of an african jihadist movement on jstor. Despite this, and although others may have done so since, the cameroonian government lacks a clear policy on how to deal with the militants, according to an international crisis group report. 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. Surviving boko haram from nigeria to cameroon youtube. Together with an underestimated structural propensity to crisis and political conflict, this presents the country with a double challenge. A week earlier two bombers had killed at least 14 in kano city. Says no terrorist commander arrested in bauchi on feb. In response, the jihadists launched an offensive against army positions and several other locations, causing great damage to local populations, especially.
Cut off boko haram funding sources while closely monitoring the livestock market in the far north and economic activity in the lake chad region. I argue that there is an economic dimension of boko haram terrorism, which is based on two interrelated indicators. Interviews with respondents in maiduguri, 2431 march 2018. 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.
240 129 351 359 411 121 1263 489 648 775 782 653 1543 230 1372 1454 1487 1262 255 1489 464 56 581 1504 392 650 42 163 1132 861 952 1420 574 713 467 919