By Pramod Raj Sedhain.
Nigeria-based terrorist group Boko Haram is no longer limited to a regional threat but has spread its terror activities elsewhere. Terror group leader Abubakar Shekau released an audio statement pledging strong alliance with Islamic State (IS) beginning with their anthem. In July 2014, Abubakar released a 16-minute video supporting and praising ISIL’s head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, al-Qaeda’s head Ayman al-Zawahiri and Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar. He pledged allegiance with all terror groups . However, nexus Boko Haram’s latest move has been an alarming sign to the entire world.
Boko Haram has, of late, spread to Nigerians neighboring states, including Cameroon, Chad and Niger by increasingly using brutal methods like IS terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Boko Haram slaughtered and beheaded number of civilians and released propaganda following the footsteps of IS. This group declared a caliphate in areas it controls in northeast Nigeria. Boko Haram is trying to increase its influence by imposing caliphate in countries like Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
This notorious group holds influence in strategic bordering areas such as Nigeria’s border with Chad, Niger and Cameron. It controls routes that are vital for supply of arms as well as linking up with global terrorist cells. Terrorists’ physical connection and collective operation proximity is not an issue of lesser concern for Libya, Niger, Mali, Sudan or Somalia. Weapons, including armored personnel carriers, pickup trucks, rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles from Libya have already reached to the hands of these terrorists. In Libya, IS terrorists have already gained the ground and took to barbarism. Boko Haram too adopted IS terror group’s banner and anthem.
Regional effort to battle against Boko Haram has seen series of successes. However, international support has to be ensured to push them back. In fact, Nigeria has stepped up collective efforts to counter Boko Haram. But collective regional military campaign needs western air raids against Boko Haram terrorists. For this, increased coordination of regional countries is a must. Failing to tackle this terrorist outfit through collective effort could be a solution. Or else, Boko Haram can become the biggest challenge similar to IS in Iraq and Syria. It is high time that the regional nations took strong and effective measures with a collective strategy to counter their common threat.
Combating Boko Haram terrorists cannot be possible without using proper and pronominal collective force. Nigerian army, known as one of the best in Africa, has not been able to put all its efforts to countering Boko Haram terrorists. It is due to equipment shortage, corruption, less mobility, limited logistic, lack of intelligence gathering capability and less motivation. More training and equipment is necessary for the regional army. Limited local support has been the biggest challenge to the world’s eight largest UN peacekeeper contributing Nigeria.
Boko Haram’s capability and violence have been growing deadly in recent times. Africa’s most populous and largest economy faces this dangerous threat. Failing to eliminate this outfit will lead to instability in the entire African region. After controlling several north-eastern Nigerian towns, this group opened the frontier to attack neighboring Cameroon. Their criminal tactics of suicide attacks, bombings, massacre, assassinations and abductions have crossed the boundary. Indiscriminate violence, fear, threat are their ideology and have been spreading day by day. Kidnapping, ransoms, robbery, extortion and trafficking have been Boko Haram’s financial source. The group has established connections for drug smuggling and poaching to generate money which is similar to other extremist Islamic terrorist groups.
If the West cannot shift its support in this regional collective operation against Boko Haram, it will be too late and dangerous. Suspected terrorists’ hideouts, weapon depot, training camps and command centre needs to be targeted at the earliest time possible. Decisive action is the need of the hour to control further escalation of their terrorist activities. Terrorists have shown their capability in multiple fronts, including their engagement of mass abduction, including the kidnapping of 219 Chibok school girls. After the month of mass abdicated in May 2014, France hosted a summit for regional effort but did not directly engage against the terrorist group.
Boko Haram (meaning ‘western education is forbidden in the nation) was founded in 2002. Since 2009 they have been waging insurgency to create Islamic state. During an operation against Boko Haram’s heartland city of Maiduguri, almost all militants were killed, including its founder and even seized the group’s headquarters and weapons. After this success, the Nigeria government declared that the Boko Haram has been finished. However, this in fact was not true since several survivor militants who fled to Algeria and believed to have reached Somalia and even Afghanistan for training returned, regrouped and re-launched terror attacks. Their capability and recruitment increased after several ethnic groups extended their support. Nigerian government declared emergency in three north-eastern states in 2013.
Over a half decade of growing conflict, innocent civilians were killed at an unprecedented level and displaced more than 1.6 million people. Nigerian leaders did not have the morale to fight back such big terrorist problem. Over 62% of Nigeria’s 170 million people live in extreme poverty. Around 24 percent unemployment Boko Haram-controlled area have less than 15 percent literacy rate, according to media reports. Terrorism problem in Nigeria cannot be solved by sole militarily. Anti-terror campaign needs political willingness, corruption control and more opportunities in all regions.
Greater instability and chaos has furthered chaos because of which election insecurity as well political rivalry have been on a rise. Deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement has frustrated the people. Nigeria’s political parties and prominent political leaders do not trust each other. Longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, extreme poverty, deep-rooted corruption in all sectors, lack of job opportunity for youth, less literacy as well divided between south and north for power and resources are some of the country major problems. Western analyst estimates that the group has controlled the territory nearly the size of Belgium. Smugglers in the lawless parts of the vast Sahel region are easily getting Boko Harm weapons and logistics. Such increasing danger and threat should not be underestimated and needs swift international humanitarian intervention to preserve future terror tragedy.
