A top United Nations official’s statement that Boko Haram is expanding in West Africa and that action must be taken now to stop its destructive march shows how this terrorist organisation has continued to remain virulent and dangerous despite intense efforts by government forces to defeat or weaken them. The group started in Nigeria, but now straddles the borders of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, with numbers estimated at 40,000 and plans to establish an Islamic state around Lake Chad.
Najat Rochdi, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, said the terrorist outfit’s strategy is to demonstrate its power by almost daily suicide bombings. Scores of people die in these suicide bombings, spreading terror in the entire region, and its capacity to carry out these bombings seems to be unlimited. Even young girls are used as bombers which makes prevention of these attacks almost impossible.
According to the UN officials, there used to be pockets of Boko Haram, but now their numbers and the territory they operate in are expanding. “It looks like they are trying to break through inside the country but also towards the borders in the east, the borders with Central African Republic,” Rochdi said. Boko declared allegiance to the Islamic State group in March and stepped up its suicide bombing campaign, more than tripling Cameroon’s number of displaced people to 158,000. Tie-up with the IS has made it more powerful and given enough resources to spread its influence.
The UN warning shows that Africa and the world must take the threat of Boko Haram more seriously. So far, the fight against the group has been done individually, and cooperation has been limited. What is required is a combined, coordinated and multipronged attack on the group with the participation of the region and the world. As the UN warned, time is precious. Any delay will only help strengthen the group. Secondly, this is a threat that will have to be eliminated at any cost. So procrastination will not help postpone or obliterate the threat from this group.
The fight against Boko will have to be supported by efforts to improve the lives of people in affected countries. Poverty and unemployment are pushing youth into terrorism. For example, the number of food-insecure people has soared and more than 15 percent of children in the region were acutely malnourished, according to UN estimates. The UN has been trying to counter Boko Haram by re-establishing markets and jobs that go with them, and getting children back to school. Bu these efforts alone aren’t enough.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has given his military commanders until the end of the year to end the insurgency. That’s a difficult deadline to meet.
A top United Nations official’s statement that Boko Haram is expanding in West Africa and that action must be taken now to stop its destructive march shows how this terrorist organisation has continued to remain virulent and dangerous despite intense efforts by government forces to defeat or weaken them. The group started in Nigeria, but now straddles the borders of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, with numbers estimated at 40,000 and plans to establish an Islamic state around Lake Chad.
Najat Rochdi, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, said the terrorist outfit’s strategy is to demonstrate its power by almost daily suicide bombings. Scores of people die in these suicide bombings, spreading terror in the entire region, and its capacity to carry out these bombings seems to be unlimited. Even young girls are used as bombers which makes prevention of these attacks almost impossible.
According to the UN officials, there used to be pockets of Boko Haram, but now their numbers and the territory they operate in are expanding. “It looks like they are trying to break through inside the country but also towards the borders in the east, the borders with Central African Republic,” Rochdi said. Boko declared allegiance to the Islamic State group in March and stepped up its suicide bombing campaign, more than tripling Cameroon’s number of displaced people to 158,000. Tie-up with the IS has made it more powerful and given enough resources to spread its influence.
The UN warning shows that Africa and the world must take the threat of Boko Haram more seriously. So far, the fight against the group has been done individually, and cooperation has been limited. What is required is a combined, coordinated and multipronged attack on the group with the participation of the region and the world. As the UN warned, time is precious. Any delay will only help strengthen the group. Secondly, this is a threat that will have to be eliminated at any cost. So procrastination will not help postpone or obliterate the threat from this group.
The fight against Boko will have to be supported by efforts to improve the lives of people in affected countries. Poverty and unemployment are pushing youth into terrorism. For example, the number of food-insecure people has soared and more than 15 percent of children in the region were acutely malnourished, according to UN estimates. The UN has been trying to counter Boko Haram by re-establishing markets and jobs that go with them, and getting children back to school. Bu these efforts alone aren’t enough.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has given his military commanders until the end of the year to end the insurgency. That’s a difficult deadline to meet.
