Publications

The violent conflict in the Lake Chad Basin is ongoing. Boko Haram insurgents are now adopting the modus operandi of other non-ideological criminal groups to reduce their risk profile in areas they previously controlled. This change in tactics and the resulting dual identity formation complicates the achievement of sustainable peace and necessitates policy adjustments.

Since 2017, government actors and international agencies have repeatedly indicated that the situation in north-eastern Nigeria, the epicentre of the Boko Haram conflict, is returning to ‘normal’. However, our research shows that Boko Haram’s strategies are evolving as the violent conflict continues. Doing nothing risks normalising a new insurgent activity that could further destabilise the region: jihadi banditry.