Publication

In a conflict that has no easy answers and no solutions in sight, Boko Haram is already and will remain one of Africa’s enduring insurgencies. In order to understand better what Boko Haram is now and could be in the future, this report challenges key misconceptions about the insurgency and provides insights into the group based on primary source materials and datasets. More specifically, the authors address six topics related to Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State in West Africa, including 1) ideology; 2) gender; 3) leadership; 4) counterinsurgency; 5) regional dynamics; and 6) terrorist networks.