The Ongoing Struggle Against Boko Haram

Boko Haram is a Nigerian terrorist group whose name in Arabic is "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teaching and Jihad." The name Boko Haram is from Hausa meaning that conventional education, boko, is forbidden. Because of its repeated attacks against Christian targets during holy days such as Christmas and Easter, Boko Haram is seen by some as principally an anti-Christian organization. According to various reports, Boko Haram began in 2003 when about 200 university students and unemployed youth created a camp in Yobe State near the Niger border to withdraw from what they considered to be corrupt, sinful and unjust Nigerian Government, and their community was supposedly founded on Islamic law. The group was then known as the Nigerian Taliban. Violent clashes with Nigerian security forces nearly destroyed the group several times, but it charismatic leader, Mohammed Yusuf, kept the group alive until his death while in police custody in July 2009. Since Yusuf's death there have been various spokesmen. Abubakar Shekau is now considered to be the leader.