BACKGROUND AND BUILD-UP

For more than ten years, Boko Haram, a deadly Islamist rebel group, has terrorised sections of West Africa, especially northeastern Nigeria. In the local Hausa language, the group's name—roughly "Western education is forbidden"—reflects their resistance to Western influence and secular education. 

ORIGIN AND PHILOSOPHY 

Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, Boko Haram began about 2002. At first, the group concentrated on opposing Western education and supporting the application of rigorous Islamic law (sharia) in northern Nigeria. Yusuf taught a harsh and unusual kind of Islam rejecting many facets of modernism and secular government. 

Early on, Boko Haram more resembled a religious sect than a militant organization. But conflicts with local authorities developed, leading to a dramatic rebellion in 2009. Killing hundreds of Boko Haram fighters, including Yusuf, who perished in police custody, Nigerian security officials mercilessly quelled the rebellion. 

This crackdown radicalized the gang and sent it undercover. Under the direction of Abubakar Shekau, who assumed command following Yusuf's death, Boko Haram resurfaced in 2010 as a fully fledging insurgency. Along with bombing government facilities, churches, and mosques, the gang started launching assassinations of police, politicians, and religious leaders. 

Over time, Boko Haram's strategies grew ever more savage. Mass executions, kidnappings, and the use of women and children as suicide bombers came to define the group. Among their most well-publicised strikes were: The 23-person 2011 bombing of the UN offices in Abuja. The 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls generated worldwide indignation. the 2015 Baga massacre in which hundreds of people perished. Declared a caliphate, Boko Haram commanded major territory in northeastern Nigeria during its height in 2014–2015. The gang also grew in activity in neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. 

IDEOLOGY AND OBJECTIVES

Based on its rigorous interpretation of sharia law, Boko Haram's declared aim is to create an Islamic state. The group finds Western cultural influences, secular education, and democracy to be un-Islamic. It aims to topple the Nigerian government and sees everyone else who deviates from its philosophy as an adversary, including other Muslims. 

Although Boko Haram has declared loyalty to the Islamic State (ISIS), its emphasis has stayed mostly local and regional rather than in line with worldwide jihadist groups. The propaganda of the group frequently takes advantage of local complaints about poverty, corruption, and felt marginalization of northern Nigeria. Humanitarian Disaster: The conflict of Boko Haram has seriously disrupted the Lake Chad Basin area. 

The UN claims the fighting has produced: Over 35,000 deaths since 2009 2.5 million displaced persons in Niger, Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Ten million people require humanitarian aid extreme hunger and malnutrition, especially among young children Education disrupted millions of children Common violations of human rights include sexual violence The anticipated tens of billions of dollars in economic cost of the insurgency have further taxed already underdeveloped areas. Efforts at counter-insurance: Fighting Boko Haram has proved difficult for Nigeria and its neighbours. 

With security personnel accused of their own violations of human rights, the Nigerian military's response has sometimes been heavy-handed. Military efficacy has been limited by corruption and inadequate equipment. To coordinate counter-insurgency operations, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger established a regional multinational joint task force (MNJTF) in 2015. 

This along with more Nigerian military action under President Muhammadu Buhari helped to drive Boko Haram out of most of the land it had possessed. The gang has shown fortitude, though, adjusting its strategies to concentrate more on suicide bombs and raids on soft targets. 

It has also fractured, with a breakaway group called the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) rising in prominence recently. Present Situation and Difficulties: Although Boko Haram and its affiliates still constitute a major security risk even if they are not in charge of vast areas of territory. 

The fight still stands at a terrible standstill, with the insurgents able to launch frequent strikes in defiance of military force. Important obstacles in solving the insurgency consist in: The Nigerian government has to solve the underlying issues allowing Boko Haram to recruit: poverty, corruption, and lack of economic possibilities. 

This will help hearts and minds to be won. Long-term stability depends on rebuilding efficient civilian government and services in impacted communities. Maintaining public confidence has been undermined by allegations of mistreatment against citizens by both the militants and security personnel. 

REGIONAL COORDINATION 

Although it is better, collaboration amongst the Lake Chad Basin's nations still lags. Developing successful initiatives to rehabilitate former fighters and reintegrate them into society presents a continuous difficulty in deradicalization and reintegration. Humanitarian access: Insecurity keeps relief distribution to people most in need hampered. Military aid, intelligence support, and humanitarian relief have been sent by the international community to nations impacted by Boko Haram. 

To regional armies, the United States, United Kingdom, France, and others have provided tools and training. Some contend, meantime, that considering the scope of the crisis, the global reaction has been inadequate. Calls for further diplomatic engagement, development aid, and backing of good governance projects aiming at resolving the fundamental causes driving the insurgency. 

Over the past ten years, the insurgency of Boko Haram has caused great hardship for millions of people living in West Africa. Although the gang no longer rules vast areas, it is nevertheless a constant menace able to launch lethal strikes and prolong a cycle of bloodshed and instability. 

Dealing with this complicated problem calls for a multifarious strategy going beyond military action by itself. Bringing long-lasting peace to the area depends critically on bettering administration, creating economic possibilities, opposing extreme ideas, and healing of communal divisions. 

Recognising that the effects of the insurgency go much beyond the boundaries of West Africa, the international community has to remain involved and help regional initiatives to overcome this obstacle. 

BY TEAM GEOSTRATA