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15 thoughts on “Northern Nigeria and the Boko Haram Conflict – Stephen Akpe”
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for giving us interesting information about Northern Nigeria and the Boko Haram Conflict concept.
This part of the country has been facing a challenge since 2002. Boko Haram bans ties with Western social common political activism and education.
The challenge is that Boko Haram filled up aggressively just to achieve the desired goals. Violence must not be a legitimate mechanism to fight for the realization of plans.
Boko Haram is based on the Qur’an and Sharia law, which the Isolating countries from the rest of the world are not the answer.
A clear definition of interest is the motivators that lead to conflict resolution. How to calm down violence and reduce it to the level of a peaceful solution to the dispute. Understanding the nature of the problem, finding the root of the conflict and emphasizing the motives that will lead the country on the path to lasting peace
Dear Kristina,
I find your comments enriching and helpful. Thank you for the feedback. The Northern part of Nigeria like you rightly said has been characterised by conflicts; it is today described as a “forced marriage”, with the South. One of the relentless ideologies of Boko Haram like you said is that the members have resolved to die in the face of the crisis. There are accounts of how some of them have killed their wives and children with the hope that, some heavenly reward awaits them. As you rightly stated, they have “filled up aggressively”. I had written an article on this platform on, “The Role of Preventive Diplomacy in Addressing the Boko Haram Violent Campaign”, which could respond to the point you raised about reducing the violence and seeking peaceful solutions. We hope that the underlying issues would be attended to by all groups, and this peace we long for this will be achieved someday.
Stephen,
Thank you for spending time to explain the history and the situation in Nigeria. Since I am not familiar with the country, I appreciate learning from you. I have to admit I have trouble following some of the information you presented in the video, mainly because of my lack of familiarity with the history. So I did a bit of quick research to help me better understand the educational system. Quite interesting about various influences in the educational system – the Islamic, Muslim, Methodists and Roman Catholics, and the western style of teaching.
The ongoing civil conflicts that you described in Northern Nigeria, especially the atrocities committed by Boko Haram certainly warrants the global communities’ attention. Any atrocity and human rights violation committed against civilians are acts against our human family as a whole. I don’t know if I can go as far as calling the extremists advisory as this will give them too much credence to their actions. I do, however, could not agree with you more that they are the people that matter in the negotiation.
Every time when I hear from my colleagues in other parts of the world describing the conflicts and their country’s struggle for peace made me appreciate how lucky I am living in a safe place, and how much harder I need to do to help bring solutions to human conflicts.
I appreciate your sharing with us the history and your perspectives.
Dear Louisa,
This is to appreciate you and the comments you made concerning the video. You are blessed to be living in a country that is peaceful! It was good you were able to do further research on Nigeria and the Boko Haram conflict. The video was to stimulate and inspire robust and comprehensive research, as some other important details will not be captured here. In line with what you rightly said, I thought too that the notion of the Responsibility to Protect should be re-defined and expanded to cover cases like these, however, since it didn’t save Syria, nor Yemen, Nigeria will have to wait much longer. We have a duty to speak for our common humanity. The call to get all those who matter in the negotiation is to influence their ideology. If personal safety can be assured, it makes sense to establish a dialogue with terrorists, or rather adversaries. This is because if it meets the desired results, such a proposal could be advanced. Thank you once again!
Thank you for providing information on your areas of expertise. Your presentation was useful in understanding a complicated situation. I look forward to your further contributions to the Round Table.
Dear Charalee,
Thank you for taking the time to view this. It has impacted me and will improve my visual delivery. I will keep to this in the future.
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for your very interesting lecture on Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria. Well done!
I am curious to hear more about your thoughts/ predictions on how the Boko Haram situation might develop. Also, what do you think, how can the severe situation be resolved, e.g. through negotiation?
Kind regards, Tobias
Dear Tobias,
I wish to commend you for your presentation as well, I hope to send in my comments. Thank you for your critical questions, it could generate a major paper, however, I would attempt to give a brief summary of your concerns. On the question of my thoughts and predictions on how the Boko Haram situation might develop – It might interest you to know that, there is a splinter group called “Ansaru”, which means Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa, operating in Mali, with a goal of establishing Islamic State in West Africa. As the narrative of the group intensifies, there is likely going to be splinter groups to disrupt community peace in different states as they gradually disintegrate. Due to the military defense, the group will metamorphose into banditry, kidnapping, and militia sects, this is affecting some states in Nigeria at the moment. We are likely to have militia groups who continue to enjoy external and internal funding by different people of interest since a number of the underlying issues have not been resolved. On the other hand, we are likely to have some members who will agree to disarm and get reintegrated into society. The situation could go both ways with more intensity on the destructive side.
Secondly, the issues could be resolved through a process of negotiation by inducing or coercing the party to the negotiation table, the process of conducting Track -1 mediation could be considered to begin to build trust and Track-11 for grassroots dialogue. The Nigerian government should be ready to respond to the agitations of the region as swiftly as possible, the region has suffered prolonged developmental neglect and increasing corruption; as well as deliver on peace and justice by opening reconciliatory processes, while some might have to face criminal cases. The possibility of creating option and separating the problem from the people is important. The rule to negotiate on the principle should be a viable and enriching alternative. These are some ways the issues could be resolved.
Thank you once again dear!
Dear Stephen,
Great articulation and looking forward to hearing more in the context of conflict dynamics geopolitically!
Respectfully,
Washaya
Dear Washaya,
I am sincerely honored with this feedback. This will inspire me going forward. You have deposited an assignment on my desk which I could invest in. Hopefully, I will discuss with our Director, Pr. Erdmann, so as to advance a round table discussion in this area of interest. You have provided the next edition for us.
Thank You