Background to Nigerian terrorism
In light of the bombing of the UN office in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, this analysis from The Economist is especially relevant.Take note, especially, of the last assertion. Is the violence and the Islamist veneer a dimension of Nigerian win-lose politics?
Sounding like the Middle East
NIGERIA’S north is a giant dust bowl stricken by mass poverty and unemployment. But the worst blight of all may be the region’s Islamists, especially a group called Boko Haram…
Boko Haram, meaning “Western education is sinful”, originates in Maiduguri, capital of the north-eastern state of Borno. It rose to prominence after sectarian violence in 2009… The group says it is fighting for the wider application of sharia law in Nigeria and has claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks in Borno, often aimed at police, churches and bars…
As it gains confidence, Boko Haram has begun to expand beyond its home base. It bombed buildings in the central city of Jos late last year and has since pushed farther south to the capital, Abuja…
Pervasive poverty, worsened by unchecked government corruption, is as much part of the problem as fervent religious belief. A stark economic contrast between the mainly Muslim north and the Christian and animist south is also fanning the flames…
Boko Haram’s ideology is not widely supported in Nigeria; Islam in west Africa is overwhelmingly moderate…
Nigeria’s heavy-handed military has not helped the situation. Its elite Joint Task Force is accused of using indiscriminate violence in retaliation to attacks…
There is a wider political dimension. Some observers believe Boko Haram has established links with disgruntled politicians, some of whom recently lost power. They apparently wish to destabilise the government…
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Labels: Nigeria, politics, terrorism
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:11 AM
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Advice from outsiders
Western Officials Seek Softer Approach to Militants in Nigeria
"Amid increasing evidence that the Nigerian government’s heavy-handed strategy for containing a radical Islamist sect has failed, some Western officials are urging a new and less militarized approach.
"The suicide bombing of the United Nations headquarters here on Friday, which killed 23 people, has added urgency to their appeal, demonstrating that the sect, Boko Haram, has expanded its scope well beyond domestic targets. Far from being crushed by Nigerian firepower, Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the attack, appears to be confirming the worst fears of Western analysts and diplomats — that repression is hastening its transformation into a menacing transnational force, with possible links to Al Qaeda’s North African affiliates.
"Repeated Nigerian military incursions against the group have yielded many civilian casualties but still not stopped Boko Haram. It merely went underground…
"'The chickens have come home to roost,' said another Western diplomat, who was not authorized to speak publicly. 'Nigeria’s political elite has been ruling irresponsibly for decades, shamelessly plundering the nation’s wealth with little or no regard for the country’s masses,' the diplomat said in an e-mail. 'The rise of Boko Haram and its millions of tacit, quiet supporters is a challenge to this corrupt political class…'"
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