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. 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. Table of contents 1 3 5 7 9 12 15 17 20 22 24 25 27 28 29 30 acknowledgments the author introduction inadequate explanations of boko harams rise local and global roots. Cameroon has become a hub for boko haram ideological infiltration, and other reports suggest that boko haram is using cameroon as a place of. 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. Boko haram into cameroons territory date back to 2012 bokeriya, omoogbebor 2016. A more ominous if less likely outcome could be the somaliazation of nigeria, if boko haram can accelerate nigerias centrifugal forces ethno. Cameroon violence perpetrated by the nigeriabased extremist group boko haram spilled over into the far north region of cameroon, resulting in several attacks on schools, students, and teachers, as well as military use of schools. Boko haram is an isisaligned jihadist group based in nigeria. Boko haram, nigerias homegrown islamist insurgency. The boko haram conflict in cameroon why is peace so elusive. Maidugurithe human rights watch, hrw, has said cameroon deported 100,000 nigerian refugees in the hope of stemming the spread of boko haram. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. On august 26, 2011 boko haram detonated a carbomb at the united nations headquarters in.
Regional offensive made up of 8,700 troops seeks to defeat the armed group, but its fighting back with kidnapped girls. Islamic caliphate if boko haram can moderate its extremist tactics in order to tap into the vast reserves of antigovernment sentiment and religious fundamentalism in the north. 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. Institute of peace commissioned the cleen foundation in nigeria to research how boko haram is able to. Since 2009, the boko haram insurgency and the governments military response have killed tens of thousands of civilians and displaced millions across the lake chad region, which straddles cameroon, chad, niger, and nigeria.
In practice the president retains the power to control legislation. Boko haram is an islamist militant group based in northern nigeria and the lake chad region. On august 26, 2011 boko haram detonated a carbomb at the united nations headquarters in abuja, killing 23 people. Since then, boko haram has intensified its activities in the far north region of the country, making cameroon the second most targeted country, in terms of attacks, by the sect. 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.
Boko haram incursions in the lake chad basin continue to affect the population in the far north region of cameroon where the majority of cameroons internally displaced persons idps, out of camp unregistered refugees, and returnees are located. The country has a multiparty system of government, but the cameroon people s democratic movement cpdm has remained in power since it was created in 1985. Confronting boko haram crisis group africa report n241, 16 november 2016 page iv to cameroons donors. Executive summary since 2014, the armed group boko haram has killed over 1,500 civilians in the far north region of cameroon, through a series of brutal and often indiscriminate attacks, in addition to its kidnapping of women. 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. A common account of the groups origin traces it back to 2002, when mohammed yusuf, a charismatic preacher, became its leader. Since the advent of boko haram in the lake chad region, the security. Fighting boko haram in cameroon the wider image reuters. Together with an underestimated structural propensity to crisis and political conflict, this presents the country with a double challenge. Usaid assists boko haramaffected families in cameroon usaids since october 2014emergency response in northern cameroon helped provide relief commodities to 2,000 people affected by boko haram attacks f iom, boko haram has gradually expanded its attacks on civilians from northeastern nigeria to neighboring countries.
Attacks and violations in cameroons struggle with boko haram. Finally, to what extent boko haram and their leaders act according to a wellplanned military strategy or on a more ad hoc basis. A new chapter in the fight against boko haram, international crisis group, report no. This comprehensive report examines boko harams extremist rhetoric, leadership, and history of violent activities. The group was founded in 2002 by an islamist cleric named mohammed yusuf in response. At least 100 boko haram militants killed by cameroon army. Nigeriaorigin radical islamist group boko haram extended armed attacks into northern cameroon in 2014 but was substantially beaten back by joint.
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. Internal displacement monitoring centre idmc cameroon. Akaoua babiana, along with 27 others who had been kidnapped by boko haram on other occasions, were freed in. Table of contents 1 3 5 7 9 12 15 17 20 22 24 25 27 28 29 30 acknowledgments the author introduction inadequate explanations of boko haram s rise local and global roots. Human rights violations and war crimes in the fight against boko haram amnesty international 1. However, at a regional security conference on nigeria held in midmay in paris to discuss the issue, the mali, chad, benin, cameroon and niger governments joined with their nigerian counterpart in declaring total war on boko haram, pledging to cooperate through. 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. War on boko haram grips cameroon in fear cameroon news al. Cameroon has been using witchcraft to fight boko haram. Bh is responsible for suicide bombings, raids, and targeted killings of cameroonians in the mayo sava, mayo tsanaga, and the logone and chari divisions of the far north region, including the villages of amchide, blabline, bia, fotokol. Boko haram kidnapped the wife of cameroon deputy prime minister, amadou ali, in an attack on the town of kolofata in northern cameroon. Usaid assists boko haramaffected families in cameroon. Boko haram and ansaru stakeholder analysis august 2016 boko haram profile boko haram bh is a sunni islamist armed group based in borno state in northeast nigeria. Country reports on human rights practices for 2017 united states department of state bureau of democracy, human rights and labor.
D department of history, adeyemi federal university of education p. In may 2014, cameroon declared war on boko haram at the paris summit. 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. Interviews followed a semistructured interview guide and. Boko haram is an extremist sect in nigeria that has caused devastating damage in northern nigeria and threatens the stability of nigeria as a whole. Cameroons army, backed by a regional taskforce, has killed at least 100 members of the militant islamist boko haram group and freed 900 people.
Encourage the governments development projects in the far north, and coordi. Boko haram was reported to have killed 380 people between april and september 2017 in. During the month of may, unhcr indicated that over 12,000 refugees left minawao camp to return. 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. After a violent suppression in 2009, boko haram resurfaced in the fall of 2010 with a high profile campaign of assassinations and attacks throughout northern nigeria. In addition, boko haram now conducts incursions across nigerian borders into cameroon, and nigerias other. In september 2017, boko haram militants kidnapped about 40 young adults, women and children and killed 18 in the town of banki, km southeast of maiduguri, borno state, on the border of nigeria and cameroon.
Jun 25, 2015 usaid assists boko haramaffected families in cameroon usaids since october 2014emergency response in northern cameroon helped provide relief commodities to 2,000 people affected by boko haram attacks f iom, boko haram has gradually expanded its attacks on civilians from northeastern nigeria to neighboring countries. This report documents both boko harams violent attacks and abuses. In 2019, the conflict in northeastern nigeria entered its eleventh year. Boko haram into cameroon s territory date back to 2012 bokeriya, omoogb ebor 2016 with great control of the terrain in this part of northern cameroon, forcing the came roonian authorities to. In 2015, boko haram leader abubakar shekau pledged allegiance to abu bakr albaghdadi, the leader of the islamic state, and boko haram became known as islamic states west africa province iswap. Institute of peace commissioned the cleen foundation in nigeria to research how boko haram is able to continue to recruit young men to its membership. 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.
A large part of boko harams calculations, rather, have been focused on its covert front and on war avoidance altogether. Dealing with boko haram defectors in the lake chad basin. Notorious for the violence and mayhem that these groups have imposed on villages and towns along the northern cameroon and nigeria borders, chad, niger. Boko haram terrorism in the lake chad basin region. Cameroon has become a hub for boko haram ideological infiltration, and other reports suggest that boko haram is using cameroon as a place of refuge. Despite strong presence of troops, nigerian fighters continue to strike targets in northern cameroon. The state of insecurity engendered by boko haram insurgency in nigeria. How to approach boko haram depends upon how boko haram and their activities. Today, boko haram is ostensibly weaker and is not able to conduct largescale attacks any more. The threat was acted upon when boko haram conducted several suicide bombings and assassinations around the country as well as carrying out a prison break in bauchi, which freed close to 700 inmates.
Cameroon 2016 human rights report executive summary cameroon is a republic dominated by a strong presidency. Boko haram, cameroon s 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. With boko haram, we joined your club, mused mdjiyawa bakari, the governor of cameroon s far north. Introduction boko haram is a salafijihadi muslim group that has operated in northeastern nigeria since 2002. The report explores how these diverging perspectives coexist.
Pdf this study proposes to retrace boko haram atrocities in. The group declared an islamic caliphate in areas it controls in august 2014. Cameroons military campaign against the boko haram insurgency started late but has met with partial success. Cameroon conflict insights vol 1 conflict insight and. There are now regular reports that boko haram has taken control of sizable territories where it forces its own brand of islamic law on local communities.
With boko haram, we joined your club, mused mdjiyawa bakari, the governor of cameroons far north. In view of the growing impact boko haram has had on neighboring cameroon, niger, and chad, u. 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. 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. 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. Boko haram in order to understand how the boko haram insurgency threatens security, it is pertinent to provide a background of its evolution. Cameroon has been relatively peaceful, with a major exception being the february 2008. A boko haram commanders words to a 19yearold mother who was held in sambisa forest, northern nigeria, for four days in april 2014. Boko haram was reported to have killed 380 people between april and september 2017 in the lake chad area. The terrorist organisation boko haram will determine cameroons mediumterm domestic and security agenda. Amnesty international recorded testimonies by suspected boko haram affiliates. 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 translates from hausa to western education is forbidden.
Cameroon has suffered overspill from boko harams insurgency in neighbouring nigeria since 2014, particularly in the far north region. Hundreds of schools closed due to a lack of security. 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. Boko haram took advantage of a distracted military and attacked the unprotected town of gamboru ngala, reportedly killing up to 300 civilians.
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. Boko haram has given indications at points that it would be open to such a swap. Frequently asked questions congressional research service 1 overview boko haram, a violent islamist insurgent group originally based in northeast nigeria, continues to wage a deadly campaign in nigeria and neighboring countries in the lake chad basin region. In the tracks of boko haram in cameroon crisis group.
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