Several months have passed since Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 girls from Chibok, Nigeria, an act that briefly captivated Western news and social media. While attention to the group has largely faded outside Nigeria, several recent publications have highlighted the factors that contribute to Boko Haram’s strength – most notably, the history of the region, religion, and the poverty that affects many in northern Nigeria.
“Holy Wars in Africa” (pg. 6)
by Charles Villa-Vicencio in Horn of Africa Bulletin
“Boko Haram born of poverty and elite politics”
by Paul Jay in Pambazuka News
“The menace of Boko Haram and fundamentalism in Nigeria”
by Horace G. Campbell in Pambazuka News
“Boko Haram: The necessary state of emergency for transforming the intractable conflict in Nigeria”
by Toyin Ajao in Pambazuka News
“Letter from Africa: Nigeria’s Boko Haram wounds army’s pride”
by Mannir Dan Ali for BBC News
“Nigeria’s Interminable Insurgency? Addressing the Boko Haram Crisis”
by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos for Chatham House