Currently, the threat of terrorist attacks from representatives of radical movements of Islam is acquiring enormous proportions, having already become a global problem. Moreover, criminal organizations that profess and propagate Salafi Islam operate not only in the Middle East. They are also present on the African continent. In addition to the well-known Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda, these include, in particular, the radical group Boko Haram, which has already become famous throughout the planet for its monstrous and horrific crimes. One way or another, the plans of the leaders of this religious structure are quite ambitious, so in order to achieve the “great” goal they will continue to kill innocent people. African authorities are trying to resist Islamist terrorists, but this does not always work. What is the radical structure of Boko Haram? Let's consider this issue in more detail.
Historical reference
The founder and ideologist of the above organization is a man known as Mohammed Yusuf. It was he who created in 2002 The educational center in Maiduguri (Nigeria).
His brainchild was called “Boko Haram,” which translated into Russian means “Western is a sin.” The principle of rejection of Western European civilization was the basis for the slogan of his group. Soon, Boko Haram transformed into the main opposition force to the Nigerian government, and the radical ideologist accused the government of being a puppet in the hands of the West.
Doctrine
What did Mohammed Yusuf and his companions want to achieve? Naturally, to Mother country lived according to Sharia law, and all the achievements of Western European culture, science, and art were rejected once and for all. Even wearing a suit and tie was positioned as something alien. It is noteworthy that the Boko Haram organization does not have any political program. All that radicals know is to commit crimes: kidnapping officials, subversive activities and killing civilians. The organization is financed through robberies, hostage ransoms and private investment.
Attempt to seize power
So, with the question of what Boko Haram is in Nigeria today, much is clear. What was the group like a few years ago?
She was still gaining strength and power. At the end of the 2000s, Mohammed Yusuf tried to seize power in the country by force, but the action was harshly suppressed, and he himself was sent to prison, where he was killed. But soon Boko Haram had a new leader - a certain Abubakar Shekau, who continued the policy of terror.
Scope of activity
Currently, the Nigerian group calls itself nothing more than the “West African Province of the Islamic State.” The number of the organization that controls the northeastern lands of Nigeria is about 5-6 thousand militants. But the geography of criminal activity extends beyond the country’s borders: terrorists operate in Cameroon, Chad, and other African countries. Alas, the authorities cannot cope with terrorists alone: they need outside help. In the meantime, hundreds and thousands of innocent people are suffering.
Not long ago, the leader of radical terrorists swore allegiance to the criminal organization “Islamic State”. As proof of their loyalty to the Islamic State, Boko Haram sent about two hundred of its men to Libya to fight the war.
Mass terror
The crimes that Nigerian radicals commit are astounding in their cruelty, thereby terrifying civilians. Killings of police officers, terrorist attacks and destruction of Christian churches are just some of the atrocities of extremists.
In 2015 alone, Boko Haram militants in Cameroon kidnapped people, killed more than a hundred people during a pogrom in the city of Fotokol, and initiated a terrorist attack in Abadam. In addition, they killed civilians in Njab, and kidnapped women and children in Damascus.
In the spring of 2014, the UN Security Council announced that the radical Nigerian Islamist organization Boko Haram was recognized as a terrorist group.
Another outrageous atrocity was committed by terrorists in locality"Chibok". There they captured more than 270 schoolgirls. This matter immediately became widespread Law enforcement carefully thought out the operation to free the captives. But, alas, only a few were saved. Most of the girls were converted to Islam, after which they were forcibly married.
Killing children
A shocking and heinous crime occurred in the village of Dalori, located near the city of Maidaguri (north-east of the country).
It was established that members of the Boko Haram group burned 86 children. According to eyewitnesses who miraculously managed to escape, militants on motorcycles and cars burst into the village, opened fire on civilians and threw grenades at their houses. The bodies of children burned alive turned into a pile of ash. But it only provoked me. The criminals destroyed two refugee camps.
Control measures
Naturally, the authorities could not help but react to a series of terrorist attacks by radicals. Moreover, they were obliged to punish them not only in Nigeria, but also in Cameroon, Niger and Benin. Consultations were held at which the problem of countering extremists was discussed in detail. As a result, a plan was developed for the deployment of the Mixed Multinational Force (JMF), which was supposed to eliminate the militants. According to preliminary estimates, the size of the army of security forces should be almost 9 thousand soldiers, and not only the military, but also the police took part in the operation.
Operation plan
The area of operations to eliminate militants was divided into three parts, each with a staff based in it. One is located in Baga (on the coast of Lake Chad), another in Gamboru (near the border with Cameroon), and the third in the border town of Mora (north-eastern Nigeria).
As for the headquarters of the Mixed Multinational Force, it will be located in N'Djamena. The Nigerian General Illya Abah, who had experience in eliminating militants, was appointed to lead the operation.
The country's authorities hope that it will be possible to eliminate the Boko Haram group by the end of this year, believing that the war against the radicals will not take much time.
What can slow down the process?
However, not everything is as simple as we would like. For the operation to be successful, CMC governments need to resolve internal issues as soon as possible. social problems. The militants take advantage of the dissatisfaction of Islamist citizens with the low standard of living, corruption and arbitrariness of the authorities. In Nigeria, half the people are Muslims.
One more circumstance that can negatively affect the speed of the operation cannot be discounted. The fact is that the authorities of many states of the African continent are weakened civil wars, which have been going on for several years now.
The government has simply lost control over part of its territories, where real anarchy reigns. Radical elements take advantage of this, winning over Muslims who are unstable in their choice of political orientation.
One way or another, the security forces have already managed to carry out a number of successful operations to destroy terrorists. For example, militants were eliminated in the forest near the city of Maiduguri. Also west of the town of Kousseri (north-eastern Cameroon), the SMS army killed about 40 Boko Haram members.
Unfortunately, Western media today rarely pay attention to the crimes against civilians committed by the Boko Haram organization on the African continent. All eyes are on the Islamic State, although the threat posed by the Nigerian group is also very serious. Nigeria's newspapers and magazines simply do not have the power to tell the world about their problems. We can only hope that the situation will change someday, and the West will not ignore the problems of terrorism in South Africa.
Boko Haram is an Islamist terrorist group operating in the north and northeast of Nigeria. The organization was founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002. He built a religious complex, a mosque and a school where the recruitment of future militants took place.
The name of the gang can be translated from Arabic as “Western education is a sin”; it consists of two words “boko” (translated from Arabic as “false”, radical Islamists use this word to denote Western education) and haram (“sin”).
In 2015, the militants swore allegiance to the Islamic State (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation - note by AiF.ru) and took a new name for themselves: “West African Province of the Islamic State.”
Ideology
Supporters of the group consider Western culture, including education and science, to be a sin. According to terrorists, women in particular should under no circumstances study or wear skirts. Also, Boko Haram supporters do not recognize voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers, and scientific truths (for example, the water cycle in nature, Darwinism, the sphericity of the Earth), which, in their opinion, contradict Islam.
The Nigerian government, from the point of view of Boko Haram, is “corrupted” by Western ideas and consists of “non-believers,” and the country’s leaders are Muslims only formally. In this regard, the current government, as the group's leaders say, should be overthrown, and Sharia law should be introduced in the country.
According to this organization's understanding of Sharia, sinners must face the most severe punishment both in this life and in the hereafter. Therefore, unrighteous Nigerians, from the point of view of Boko Haram, must be punished through physical violence.
Ethnic composition
The bulk of Boko Haram militants are representatives of the Kanuri people. There are over 3 million of them in Nigeria. Most of them are Muslims. In addition, among the militants there are representatives of other African tribes: Fulani and Chaos.
Bandit activities
year 2009 - Mohammed Yusuf attempted a rebellion aimed at creating an Islamic state in northern Nigeria. After this, on July 29, 2009, the police stormed the group's base in Maiduguri. Mohammed Yusuf was arrested by the police and later died under unclear circumstances;
2010 - about 50 gang supporters attacked a prison in the city of Bauchi, where extremists arrested during the rebellion were kept. 721 of the 759 prisoners held in the prison were released;
2011 - organization of explosions in the city of Damaturu. The target of the attack is police, military and residents of Christian areas. A total of 150 people died;
2012 - attack on Christian communities located in Adamawa state, resulting in the death of at least 29 people;
2012 - Suicide bombers blew up three churches in Kaduna state; according to the Red Cross, over 50 people died;
2013 - due to the activities of Boko Haram, the Nigerian government declared a state of emergency in the country;
2014 - the group kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from a high school in the village of Chibok (Borno State). Attack on educational institution leader of the organization, Abubakar Shekau, explained that “girls should leave school and get married”;
2014 - a double terrorist attack was committed in the city of Jos (Plateau State), as a result of which more than 160 civilians were killed and more than 55 were injured;
2014 - terrorists captured the city of Buni Yadi and announced the creation of a caliphate on the territory under its control;
2015 - 16 cities and villages in northern Nigeria in the state of Borno were burned, including the 10,000-person city of Baga on the shores of Lake Chad, and several cities were captured.
Government position
The Nigerian government's attempt at dialogue with the Boko Haram group has not yet been successful. The authorities are conducting full-fledged military operations against the militants using aviation and artillery.
Sharia (translated from Arabic as “path”, “way of action”) is a set of legal, canonical-traditional, moral, ethical and religious norms of Islam, covering a significant part of the life of a Muslim, one of the forms of religious law.
Boko Haram is a radical Nigerian Islamist organization. It was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri. It was founded by Mohammed Yusuf. Official name Boko Haram is “a people committed to the Prophet’s teachings on preaching and jihad.” The organization's militants operate not only in Nigeria, but also carry out raids in neighboring states - Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
The main goal of the organization is to introduce Sharia throughout Nigeria and eradicate everything Western - culture, science, education, voting in elections, wearing shirts and pants.
“Boko Haram” through the eyes of cartoonists:Unlike other Islamist groups, Boko Haram does not have a clear doctrine. At first, the militants of this organization mainly kidnapped people and carried out assassinations on national and local politicians. But then they moved on to subversive actions aimed at a large number of victims.
On July 26, 2009, Mohammed Yusuf attempted a rebellion, the goal of which was to create an Islamic state in the north of the country, governed by Sharia law. Three days later, the police stormed the group's base in Maiduguri. Mohammed Yusuf was arrested by the police and later died under unclear circumstances. Currently, Boko Haram is led by Abubakar Shekau.
The source of funding for the organization is robberies, including banks, receiving ransom for hostages, as well as private contributions from businessmen in the northern region, who use the group to fight for power.Since the intensification of the Boko Haram group in 2009, more than 13 thousand people have died as a result of terrorist attacks and attacks that occur on a regular basis, more than 1.5 million people have been forced to leave their homes and become internally displaced.
Here are just some of the crimes committed by Boko Haram militants in 2015:- January 18 - 80 people, most of them children, were kidnapped in the north of Cameroon.
- February 4 - more than 100 people were killed during an attack on the city of Fotokol.
- February 17 - carried out a terrorist attack in Abadam
- March 3 - 68 people were killed in the city of Njabe
- March 7 - swore allegiance to ISIS.
- March 24 - attacked the city of Damasak and kidnapped at least 400 women and children.
Militants attack police stations and terrorize Christian church parishes and believers.
Last April, militants abducted more than 270 schoolgirls from a high school in the village of Chibok. Despite the widespread publicity and campaign for the release of the schoolgirls, the efforts of the international community were unsuccessful. Only a few managed to escape; the rest, according to the organization’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, were forced to convert to Islam and were forced into marriage.
In May 2014, Boko Haram was listed as a terrorist organization by the UN Security Council.
The new President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, elected at the end of March, announced his firm intention to rid the country of the militants of the Islamist group Boko Haram.
Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Central African Republic, Benin are fighting together against Boko Haram terrorists. They are actively helped European countries, in particular Britain and France.
The name of the Nigerian armed group Boko Haram has been in the news due to the recent abduction of about 300 schoolgirls in the volatile northern region of the country.
Boko Haram threatens to sell girls into slavery. The abductions took place in several stages. The biggest one happened in April when more than 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped. According to the Nigerian police, 276 of them remain in captivity to this day. Another 11 girls were abducted this week in Borno state, where Boko Haram has led an Islamist insurgency for the past five years. The abduction of children has caused outrage in the international community, with many countries offering their assistance. The Nigerian government has offered a $300,000 reward for information.
Boko Haram - who are they?
Boko Haram is an Islamist armed group based in northern Nigeria. This extremist group is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamist state. It is distinguished by crimes committed with particular cruelty - a series of deadly explosions, murders and kidnappings. The group's official Arabic name translates to "People Dedicated to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad," but it is commonly known as Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden" in the local Hausa language.
The group is based in the capital of the northeastern state of Borno, Maiduguri. She has some support in Nigeria's impoverished Muslim north, mostly in rural areas.
Islam in the fundamentalist understanding of the group considers the participation of Muslims in any social, political or educational activities, one way or another connected with the West, “haram,” that is, forbidden, sinful. This includes prohibitions on voting in elections, receiving secular education, and wearing Western-style clothing. Because of these taboos, some call this group the "Nigerian Taliban".
What is the origin of the group?
Boko Haram was founded in 2002 in the city of Maiduguri by the inspirational Islamic preacher Mohammed Yusuf. In the 1990s, Yusuf led a radical Islamist youth group. Yusuf initially expressed an interest in education. He built a mosque and madrassa where poor Muslim families could educate their children. Overthrowing the government by force was not his goal. He blamed his country's problems on Western values imposed on Nigeria by former British colonialists. He called on citizens to disobey the government.
The situation worsened in 2009. Members of the group refused to obey the law requiring the use of a helmet when riding a motorcycle. This led to violent clashes between Boko Haram supporters and police. More than 800 people were killed, including hundreds of Boko Haram supporters. The police seized the group's headquarters, Yusuf was sent to prison, where he died.
Since then, Boko Haram has carried out numerous attacks on security forces, churches, and schools, indiscriminately killing civilians.
Yusuf's right hand, Abubakar Shekau, took over the leadership of the group and changed its direction. Having lost its inspirational founder, Boko Haram went underground and split into several groups, which also spread to neighboring countries - Niger and Cameroon.
"The group has changed its activities since 2009," says Royal Institution researcher international relations at London Chatham House Sola Tayo. “They began to resort to increasingly desperate violence. They are becoming more daring, their weapons more modern, and their activities more and more outrageous.”
Who are they fighting against?
Boko Haram has been accused of killing nearly 3,000 people since 2009. Last year alone, according to Amnesty International, they were responsible for the deaths of more than 1,500 people.
The group attacks security forces, fellow Christians, and Muslim leaders and preachers it accuses of collaborating with the government. Their attacks, although to a lesser extent, are also directed against foreigners and tourists. One of their most daring attacks was the attack on the UN headquarters in the capital Abuja in 2011. More than 20 people became its victims.
Last month, Boko Haram kidnapped about 300 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State. 53 of them managed to escape. And last week (on the evening of May 4) another 11 schoolgirls were kidnapped. On May 5, a video message was released in which Shekau threatens to sell girls into slavery and force them into marriage.
Are they connected to al-Qaeda?
In the United States, Boko Haram is recognized as a terrorist organization and they believe that the group may be connected with al-Qaeda through the Islamic Maghreb organization operating in northwest Africa, the extremist group al-Shabab in Somalia and al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula."
According to a 2011 US Congressional report, the group is "emerging as a threat" to the United States. Boko Haram denies ties to foreign groups.
Although Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of a French family in northern Cameroon last February, there is little evidence that the group intends to operate outside Nigeria.
“They have connections, they exchange information,” says Tayo. “However, whether Boko Haram is an active part of al-Qaeda is debatable, since the conflict currently does not extend beyond the borders of a specific region of Nigeria.”
Means “Western education is a sin”) is an extremist group of radical Islamists that arose in Nigeria and operates mainly in Nigeria and its neighboring countries. The official name is “Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad”, which translated from Arabic means “Society of adherents to the dissemination of the teachings of the prophet and jihad”.
The founder and spiritual leader of the group is considered to be Muhammad Yusuf (1970–2009). After his death, the organization was headed by Abubakar Shekau.
The group's headquarters is located in northeastern Nigeria, in the city of Maiduguri, the administrative center of Borno State.
Boko Haram supporters belong to the Salafist sect. “Salafis” and “Wahhabis” are supporters of the same movement in Islam, which calls for the purity of early Islam: to be guided by the example of the prophet, his companions and righteous ancestors (as-salaf al-salihin - the first three generations of Muslims), to be completely subordinate to religious tradition and the provisions of Revelation, which is accepted in the form in which it is expressed in the texts of the Koran and Sunnah. Members of the sect pray in mosques separately from other Muslims.
The goal of Boko Haram is the complete eradication of the Western way of life and the creation of an Islamic state based on Sharia law in northern Nigeria. Any person, even if he is a Muslim, but does not follow the laws of the sect, is considered an “infidel.”
The total number of the group reaches, according to some estimates, 30 thousand people.
The main sources of funding for the organization are robberies and funds received as ransoms for hostages. Within the structure of the group there is a detachment that specializes in kidnapping people for ransom.
In the period from 2009 to 2013 alone, about 4 thousand people became victims of the group.
The list of Boko Haram atrocities is constantly growing.
Extremists are responsible for explosions in Christian churches, police stations, shopping centers and military facilities. For example, on just one Christmas night from December 24 to 25, 2010, in Plateau State, militants carried out 9 explosions, which killed about 80 people and injured about 200; On January 20, 2012, nearly 20 explosions in Nigeria's second largest city, Kano, killed about 215 people.
Boko Haram carries out assassinations and kidnappings of politically significant figures: on October 6, 2010, the leader of the ruling People's Democratic Party, Awanna Ngala, was killed; In May 2013, former Nigerian Oil Minister Shettima Ali Monguno was kidnapped in Borno State. He was released after the militants received a ransom of 240 thousand euros.
On April 14, 2014, extremists from Boko Haram attacked a school in the city of Shibok in the state. Borno and abducted 276 teenage girls aged 12 years and older. 53 of them managed to escape, the rest remain in the hands of bandits. On July 6, 2013, they set fire to a boarding school in Yobe State. The militants opened fire on children running out of school, killing 42 of them.
Boko Haram also uses suicide bombers for terrorist attacks: on June 17, 2012, in the cities of Zaria and Kaduna, suicide bombers sent cars filled with dynamite into three Christian churches, crowded with people on the occasion of Sunday worship.
On May 5, 2014, 300 local residents were killed by gunmen in armored vehicles in Gamboru-Ngala (northeast Nigeria); On May 21, 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked several villages in the north of the country, killing about 48 civilians; June 4, 2014 in the villages of Attagara, Amuda and Ngoshe pcs. At least 200 people were killed in Borno, northern Nigeria. This is a partial list of Boko Haram atrocities.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has declared common goals with al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and other extremist Islamic groups operating in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, northern Mali and Niger, Cameroon and Chad .
On May 22, 2014, the UN extended the international sanctions adopted against Al-Qaeda and related organizations to Boko Haram.