Boko Haram
The organization I have chosen is the Boko Haram. The terrorist group is based predominantly in Northern Nigeria, and is the leading terrorist threat in the country and, possibly, the whole of West Africa. It is a militant Islamist group, driven mainly by the Islamic principles that forbid the taking up of western culture, which is deemed to be unclean, and corrupts the minds of God’s followers (BBC, 2016). Such acts that the group advocates against include voting in elections, the wearing of trousers and shirts, largely considered a western form of dressing, and taking part in any secular activities (BBC, 2016). I opted for this specific terrorist group due to the relatively recent nature of their attacks in the Nigerian state, which have largely been publicized, such as the kidnapping of hundreds of girls. The terrorist group has also started expanding its operations to states neighboring Nigeria (BBC, 2016), hence are very much an active threat.
The strengths of the group lie in their undying loyalty to their religion. The Boko Haram run a largely religious agenda and the recruits are usually staunch believers of it, hence their commitment is never under doubt which has contributed greatly to their success. Their weakness, however, is poverty. The group lacks any solid means of funding; hence any loss of ground against the state usually sets them far back.
The objectives of the Boko Haram are largely religious, as evidenced above. Their beliefs strongly impose the need to keep away from western culture, which is believed to be evil and will lead to the destruction of the Islamic religion (BBC, 2016). The Boko Haram seeks to enforce this by overthrowing the pinnacle of power in Nigeria and neighboring countries, that is, the heads of state (BBC, 2016). This is because they view the heads of state, Muslim or non-Muslim, as non-believers and, therefore, the drivers of this erosion of morals (BBC, 2016).
The top-most advantage the group has is the deep roots in almost every part of the country, owning significant chunks of land in others. This can be dealt with through combat retaliation. Nigeria and neighboring countries should forcefully reclaim the Boko Haram strongholds, through military action.
The attack on the terrorist group will be facilitated by the state, as it is a function of the military, which is under the state. The state will work to provide necessary resources such as armaments, through their funding to ensure the success of the operation.
The method is tested and proven in other sections of Africa such as Kenya, where ventures in to the enemy territory proved effective in stumping out the influence of terrorist groups, such as Al-Shabaab, in this case.
References
BBC. (2016, November 24). Who are Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist group? Retrieved July 11, 2020, from BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13809501