{UAH} Boko Haram
|
10:10 AM |
No comments |
Boko Haram has been one of the world's deadliest militant groups over the past decade, kidnapping and killing tens of thousands of civilians across northeast Nigeria and beyond. Since the current insurgency started in 2009, Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands and displaced 2.3 million from their homes and was at one time the world's deadliest terror group according to the Global Terrorism Index. On today's History Files we unveil the history behind the emergence of Boko Haram in Nigeria.
The Islamic State-linked sect, whose name roughly translates to "Western education is a sin," was formed in 2002 by Muhammed Yusuf in the northeastern Nigeria. The group's initial aim was not to destroy humans but to destroy the corruption and injustice in Nigeria. Their main goal was to "purify Islam in northern Nigeria".
Ideologically, Boko Haram is against Westernization, which it views as negatively impacting Islamic values. The group blames Western influences for Nigeria's culture of corruption, which has contributed to a wide gap between the few rich and the many poor.
The actions of Boko Haram were nonviolent until 2009 when clashes between the group and security forces left dozens of police officers dead. In an attempt to quell the uprising, Nigerian law enforcement and military personnel killed about 700 Boko Haram members and destroyed the mosque that the group used as its headquarters. Mohammed Yusuf and other leaders were arrested by the military and handed over to the police. A few days later the bullet-riddled corpses of Yusuf and his colleagues, including that of his father-in-law, Baba Fugu Mohammed, who had willingly handed himself over to the police for questioning, were displayed in public.
The summary execution of several prominent Boko Haram figures, including its leader, Muhammed Yusuf in July, 2009, brought in a new leader named Abubakar Shekau who vowed to avenge the deaths of Yusuf and the others. Under his rule, Boko Haram adopted a strategy of extreme violence.
One operation that gave Boko Haram much attention occurred in September 2010, when the group attacked a prison in the city of Bauchi, in Bauchi state, and released more than 700 inmates, including some 100 Boko Haram members. On the 24th of December that same year, the group attacked two Christian churches in Maiduguri and detonated explosives in Christian neighbourhoods in Jos, in Plateau state, the latter attack killing more than 30 people.
Boko Haram gained international recognition on the 26th of August, 2011 when a suicide bomber crashed a car into the United Nations building in Abuja and detonated an explosive, which killed at least 23 people and injured more than 100 others. The attacks continued and by 2013 Boko Haram had taken over many local governments in the northeastern states. The success of the Islamic sect made the then president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan to offer amnesty to the group if they disarmed. In response to the offer, they launched a series of military-style attacks in Borno which left 50 people dead and saw to the release of over 100 prisoners in the state.
After some horrific attacks that year, Boko Haram was officially declared as a terrorist group by President Jonathan. In August 2014, Boko Haram declared the areas under its control as an Islamic state. Though the attacks persisted but 2019 has seen the decline of Boko Haram and the loss of much of the territory it once reportedly controlled. Since the start of Boko Haram's insurgency the violence has resulted in more than 32,000 dead.
--
-- The Islamic State-linked sect, whose name roughly translates to "Western education is a sin," was formed in 2002 by Muhammed Yusuf in the northeastern Nigeria. The group's initial aim was not to destroy humans but to destroy the corruption and injustice in Nigeria. Their main goal was to "purify Islam in northern Nigeria".
Ideologically, Boko Haram is against Westernization, which it views as negatively impacting Islamic values. The group blames Western influences for Nigeria's culture of corruption, which has contributed to a wide gap between the few rich and the many poor.
The actions of Boko Haram were nonviolent until 2009 when clashes between the group and security forces left dozens of police officers dead. In an attempt to quell the uprising, Nigerian law enforcement and military personnel killed about 700 Boko Haram members and destroyed the mosque that the group used as its headquarters. Mohammed Yusuf and other leaders were arrested by the military and handed over to the police. A few days later the bullet-riddled corpses of Yusuf and his colleagues, including that of his father-in-law, Baba Fugu Mohammed, who had willingly handed himself over to the police for questioning, were displayed in public.
The summary execution of several prominent Boko Haram figures, including its leader, Muhammed Yusuf in July, 2009, brought in a new leader named Abubakar Shekau who vowed to avenge the deaths of Yusuf and the others. Under his rule, Boko Haram adopted a strategy of extreme violence.
One operation that gave Boko Haram much attention occurred in September 2010, when the group attacked a prison in the city of Bauchi, in Bauchi state, and released more than 700 inmates, including some 100 Boko Haram members. On the 24th of December that same year, the group attacked two Christian churches in Maiduguri and detonated explosives in Christian neighbourhoods in Jos, in Plateau state, the latter attack killing more than 30 people.
Boko Haram gained international recognition on the 26th of August, 2011 when a suicide bomber crashed a car into the United Nations building in Abuja and detonated an explosive, which killed at least 23 people and injured more than 100 others. The attacks continued and by 2013 Boko Haram had taken over many local governments in the northeastern states. The success of the Islamic sect made the then president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan to offer amnesty to the group if they disarmed. In response to the offer, they launched a series of military-style attacks in Borno which left 50 people dead and saw to the release of over 100 prisoners in the state.
After some horrific attacks that year, Boko Haram was officially declared as a terrorist group by President Jonathan. In August 2014, Boko Haram declared the areas under its control as an Islamic state. Though the attacks persisted but 2019 has seen the decline of Boko Haram and the loss of much of the territory it once reportedly controlled. Since the start of Boko Haram's insurgency the violence has resulted in more than 32,000 dead.
--
"War is nothing but a continuation of political intercourse, with a mixture of other means. Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ugandans at Heart (UAH) Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ugandans-at-heart/CAKh9Gt8AFmvUbY3ShXNZ0zmxktkrDiXAFHFKkxQKqbY-CqF3Zw%40mail.gmail.com.
0 comments:
Post a Comment