Ryan Cummings
Friday, November 21, 2014 - 06:02
On 17 October, the Nigerian government unilaterally declared that it had entered into a ceasefire agreement with Boko Haram Islamists. In the same communique, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, further asserted that the agreement would also see the release of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist extremist sect from the town of Chibok some six months ago. Yet, nearly two weeks after the declaration, neither goal has been achieved.
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 13:54
Can a group whose actions often defy logic be entrusted to hold their end of the bargain? Moreover, does the Nigerian government even have the know-how in bargaining with such an erratic and unpredictable adversary? The answer to both questions is a resounding “yes”.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - 12:12
The Nigerian Islamist sect has kidnapped 234 school girls. Why?
Monday, April 21, 2014 - 12:21
Nigeria is not winning in the battle against Boko Haram, but neither are the Islamist militants. The Abuja bombing is more a sign of the group's decline than ascendency.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - 07:26
If the abduction of two Italian priests and a Canadian nun is confirmed to have been conducted by Boko Haram, it will be the Islamist militants' third kidnapping in northern Cameroon.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - 08:10
Political scientists remain divided on the link between natural resources and armed conflict in Africa. One school of thought suggests that competition over the control of resources is itself a motivation for the development of armed insurgencies. Others – opponents of this greed-based theory – suggest that control over resources serves as a mechanism to correct economic and political inequalities. But all agree on one thing: there is a positive relationship between the availability of lootable resources and armed insurrection, and this is particularly the case where populations have been marginalised.