Last modified: 2022-10-22 by bruce berry
Keywords: nigeria | boko haram |
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Boko Haram is a secessionist, Salafist movement, established in Miaduguri (north-eastern Nigeria) in 2002 by the preacher Mohammed Yusuf (1970-2009). Originally presented as a religious sect, Boko Haram initiated an armed insurrection in July 2009 during which Yusuk was killed by Nigerian troops. He was succeeded by Abubakar Shekau, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Ash-Sham on 02 March 2015, as the head of the "Islamic State in West Africa". Boko Haram has been involved in numerous terrorist acts, including suicide bombings, massacres mass abductions. The movement once controlled a great part of Borno State and spread violence to the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
In August 2015, the movement split into two factions,
the one led by Abubakar Shekau, deemed "too extremist" by the Islamic State, and
the other led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi. Division of the movement and the joint
intervention of troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger appears to have
significantly decreased the territory controlled by Bolo Haram and limited the
attacks perpetrated by the movement.
On 30 December 2016, Major General Lucky Irabor announced that the Nigerian
Forces had "cleansed" the Sambisa Forest, presented as Boko Haram's last
stronghold. As a proof, the Major presented to President
of the Republic, Muhammadu Buhari, the flag and the Quran captured from
Abubakar Shekau.
Ivan Sache, 03 Jan 2018
The flag is of the movement has a black field on which
is white writing and symbols. This is based on the design of the flags
used by related Islamic secessionist movements, most notably that used by the
Islamic State of Iraq and Ash-Sham (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant of ISIS). The writing جماعة اهل
السنة للدعوة والجها (Group of the People of Sunnah for Preaching and Jihad) is written horizontally in the middle of the
flag, surmounted by a Quran and two submachine guns pointing to the upper left
and right corners, respectively. An image of the flag can be seen
here.
Ivan Sache, 03 Jan 2018