Boko Haram - an overview

This report is a study of the militant Islamist group Jama`at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da`wa wa al-Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram. The report provides an overview of the emergence, ideology, and organization of Boko Haram, its key members and major attacks, as well as relevant literature on the group. Boko Haram has been operating in Nigeria since the late 1990s or early 2000s, becoming increasingly active and violent since 2010. The group’s main declared goals are to overthrow the Nigerian government and institute Islamic law (Sharia). Boko Haram also wants to free imprisoned members and avenge the death of its former leader, Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed by Nigerian police in 2009. The majority of Boko Haram’s attacks target official figures and symbols, especially the police and security forces. Since mid-2011 there has also been an increase in attacks on Christian targets. There have been speculations concerning Boko Haram forging alliances with foreign militant movements, including al-Shabaab in Somalia, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and Ansar Dine in Mali. There are many indications that such alliances exist, including statements from local and international security officials. However, the exact nature and extent of the connections are difficult to determine. So far, Boko Haram has focused mainly on national grievances and targets. It has only conducted one attack outside Nigeria: the kidnapping of seven Frenchmen in Cameroon in February 2013. This report warns against exaggerating Boko Haram’s connections with foreign militants and considers the likelihood of Boko Haram becoming a major international terrorist threat in the near future to be relatively low. Still, the possibility of Boko Haram or one of its factions/splinter groups becoming more internationally oriented and mounting further attacks outside Nigeria cannot be ruled out. For instance, the splinter group Ansaru has conducted several attacks against Westerners and targeted soldiers going to Mali, and appears more globally oriented than the “core” Boko Haram movement led by Abukakar Shekau.