More than forty farmers were killed in attacks in January this year in Nigeria, leading to concerns. The attackers were suspected to be Boko Haram. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation, the attacks were carried out in a village in northeast Nigeria. But the killings by Boko Haram are not surprising in Nigeria. Due to their direct conflicts and Boko Haram’s insurgency, thousands have been killed and millions have been displaced so far — in addition to widespread human rights violations — in Nigeria. But it remains uncertain whether the conflicts between the two groups will end and whether the killings by the non-state armed group will end. Unless the conflicts are addressed, the killings are less likely to end.
Though Nigeria has taken both kinetic (such as military and non-kinetic (such as dialogue, development and rehabilitation) strategies to address the conflicts between the Nigerian Armed Forces and Boko Haram, which has been fighting in the region since 2009 driven by several reasons including the desire to establish an Islamic state, grievances, marginalization and ineffective governance execrated by corruption, the non-state armed group continues to be a major security concern in northeastern Nigeria. While military operations have mainly been aiming to weaken the fighting capacity of Boko Haram, established in 2002, non-kinetic measures have been focusing on addressing certain root causes of conflicts and rehabilitation programs for defectors. Consequently, these measures have failed to fully eradicate the insurgency of the armed group, even if they have achieved some successes in containing the group’s territorial control and reducing the frequency of its armed attacks against the military and civilians in Nigeria.
Photo credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/.
But — pertinently saying — addressing the armed conflicts especially between the Nigerian government forces and Boko Haram, one of the armed groups operating on the territory of Nigeria, also faces other significant limitations. Amongst the limitations, there are limited peace initiatives by both international communities and the government, though attempts were made to hold dialogues and negotiations by parties including Switzerland and the ICRC, to resolve the armed conflicts and reach peace especially through negotiations. While the Nigerian government has so far been hesitant to engage in formal talks and negotiations, international communities have prioritized addressing the humanitarian crisis and supporting regional stability efforts against the non-state armed group. Consequently, peace has remained far away in Nigeria to date.
Various reasons have probably been playing a role in the absence of peace negotiations-based initiatives to end the armed conflicts between the government and Boko Haram in Nigeria. The lack of political interests between the two parties, ideological differences and the concerns about the potential for negotiation to legitimize the armed activities of the group have probably played a vital role. Additionally, the lack of trust between the parties and the complexities of dealing with the armed organization with shifting aims and allegiances have also played a vital role. Pertinently saying, there is a fragmented nature of Boko Haram itself due to the group’s decentralized nature and the lack of a clear leadership structure.
Photo credit: https://edition.cnn.com/.
Increasing the capacity of the government forces is needed to prevent the attacks of the armed group and save lives including civilians. But peace initiatives especially negotiations-based initiatives are also vital and can be helpful in ending the armed conflict between the two groups and bringing peace. Pertinently saying, the Nigerian government expressed its willingness in the past to negotiate with the group, including offering amnesty to surrendering fighters, but this has faced resistance from some communities and civil society groups. Further peace negotiation-based initiatives are needed by the international mediators.
But addressing the challenges to holding peace negotiations is vital with the aim of ending armed conflicts in Nigeria. There were several flaws in the previous attempts including the absence of a unified and credible negotiation platform and a failure to address the root causes of the conflict — the reasons that made the attempts fail. Addressing the root causes of the conflicts is also vital for successful peace negotiations in Nigeria.
