Boko Haram in NigeriaBy Harry Zangouropoulos

Contents

Intro

Where?

Background

Who?

What Happened?

What Boko Haram Do

Why?

When?

Timeline

Statistics

Impact On Daily Life

Peace Keeping Actions

Bibliography

Intro

Boko Haram is a group of Muslims Terroists oporating out of Nigeria West Africa. The conflict is on going since 2009.

Where?

The conflict is mainly in the north east of Nigeria (also the north central and central states). Boko Haram also operates in Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Background

Nigeria was governed by a series of ruthless military dictatorships from its independence in 1960 until the start of democracy in 1980. Nigeria has already had civil war from 1967-1970 and there has been religious differences for a long time.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy. In 2013 the population was 173 million! Nearly 2/3 of its population live on less than $1 (US)/day. It is a very corrupt country especially the police and politicians. Also, the religion of Islam has become more radical worldwide

Who?

Boko Haram is an Islamic group which is against the Westernising of Nigerian society. It is a very strict Sunni sect that wants people to live under a strict form of Sharia law. Sharia law is religious law which is based on the Koran, and they have lots of very harsh punishments like cutting off hands, stoning people and beating and killing.

Boko Haram translates to “western education is a sin.” It was started in 2002 in Maiduguri by Mohummed Yusuf. (Maiduguri is the capital of the north-eastern state Borno). He was killed in 2009 and was replaced by Abubakar Shekau

What happened

For the first seven years things seemed to be pretty peaceful. Then in 2009 security forces arrested some BH members and confiscated weapons and bomb making equipment. This lead to revenge attacks on police. And by the end of July lots of people had been killed and police stations, schools, churches, prisons and offices were destroyed. All these things are still happening. It has also spread into country areas, with farms being destroyed. There have been lots of kidnappings for example 276 school girls in Borno. There have also been lots of bombings including the UN HQ in Abuja and suicide bombings.

What Boko Haram Do

Boko Haram kill people who do things which are un-Islamic, like drinking alcohol. For the first 7 years it was more or less peaceful. Since then there have been many events including: bombings, burnings, killings of civilians and security forces and kidnapping. They have especially targeted the police with hundreds killed and police stations attacked. They have also done some prison breaks. They force boys to join them by threatening death.

Why?......Religion

This conflict is all about religion. Over 50% of Nigerians are Muslims. Most live in the northern part of the country, for example, Borno State. About 48% of Nigerians are Christian and live mainly in the south. It is also about the big gap between rich and poor people and the corruption.

When

BH started in 2002.

Attacks started in 2009.

Conflict is still on going with no end in sight.

Timeline

2002: BH started in Maiduguri. Mostly peaceful until: July 2009- Security forces arrest some BH and

confiscate weapons and bomb making equipment, starting lots of revenge attacks.

2009 November-. Mohummed Yusuf killed. At some point replaced by Abubukar Shekau

2010 December- First Christmas bombing in churches 2011 June- First suicide bombing (Abuja) 2011 August- UN headquarters in Abuja bombed

(first Western target)

Timeline

2012 January- Bloodiest attack in a single day (Kano)

2012 July- First mosque bombing (Maiduguri)

 2013- February- first kidnapping across the border (French people in Cameroon)

2013 May- first slaves captured. Level of attacks increases a lot

2013 June- $7 million (US) offered by USA for capture of Abubukar Shekau

2013 November- US state department add BH to list of terrorist organisations.

2014 April-kidnapping of 276 school girls in Chibuk, Borno, bombing in Abuja.

2014 May-UN adds BH to sanctions list

2014 September-Maiduguri about to stormed

Statistics

March May July0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

Displaced People in 2014

Series1

Month

Number of People

Statistics

Borno Adamawa Yobe0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

Aid needs March 2014 by state

Series1

state

People who need help

Statistics

year 2011 year 2012 year 2013 year 20140

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Estimated deaths related to Boko Haram

year

number of deaths

Impact on Daily Life

Education Family life and

housingHouses have been destroyed. Families split apart. Some boys have been forced to join BH or be killed.

When they started they had a school attached to the centre which attracted poor families wanting free education. BH once locked boys in their dormitory then set fire to it. They kidnapped 276 girls (most still missing). Thousands of students and teachers have deserted schools from Cameroon towns on the border of Borno State.

Impact On Daily life

Health and medical care

Lots of deaths and injuries. BH attacked some polio vaccinators because they thought the vaccine stops you having babies. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists have fled from Borno State. Doctors and nurses have been kidnapped to treat BH.

Food and water

Farmers can’t tend their crops from the chaos (which is the main source of food). People have been chased into the mountains which forces them to eat wild fruit and roots to survive. Attacks happen in busy market places too.

Peacekeeping actions

There haven’t been many peace keeping actions. President Goodluck Jonathon has announced a state of emergency a number of times and the security forces have had special training to counter and eliminate Boko Haram. In fact Nigeria has withdrawn its troops from peace keeping in other parts of Africa. Also the security forces have done some terrible things as well. In May 2014 some African leaders met in Paris to discuss “war on Boko Haram”

Bibliography

Wikipedia

NBC News

BBC News

Other news sites

Google Images