Rethinking the U.S. Approach to Boko Haram: The Case for a Regional Strategy

Abstract

U.S. Naval Forces Africa asked CNA to recommend an approach for the United States government (USG) to counter Boko Haram. The USG has been working with the government of Nigeria (GoN) to defeat the group, but the two governments are taking divergent approaches and efforts to date have not been effective. The GoN is taking a narrow counterterrorism approach that relies heavily on the military, whereas a broader whole-of-government approach is required. Due to the political dynamics in Nigeria, the USG has few ways to change the GoN s approach to the conflict. We propose that the USG and other supporting partners focus on assisting Chad, Niger, and Cameroon to become increasingly able to prevent Boko Haram from taking root within their borders. While this would not dismantle Boko Haram in the near term, it could buy time for conditions in Nigeria to become more favorable to direct U.S. assistance.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2015
Accession Number
ADA613687

Entities

People

  • Alexander Powell
  • Daniella Mak
  • Julia Mcquaid
  • Patricio Asfura-heim

Organizations

  • Center for Naval Analyses

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Counterterrorism
  • Dynamics
  • Governments
  • National Governments
  • United States
  • United States Government

Readers

  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.
  • Strategic Security Studies