Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad

Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad
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Name	Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad
Native name	جماعة أهل السنة للدعوة والجهاد
Founding location	Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
Foundation	2002
Founders	Mohammed Yusuf
Leader title	Leader
Leader name	Abubakar Shekau (2009–2021), Abu Musab al-Barnawi (2016–2021), Bakura Doron (2021–2023), Abu Umar al-Barnawi (2023–present)
Ideology	Salafi jihadism, Anti-Western sentiment, Takfir
Area	Northeast Nigeria, Lake Chad Basin, Niger, Cameroon, Chad
Partof	Islamic State (as Islamic State – West Africa Province) (2015–present)
Preceded by	Maitatsine

Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad. It is a Salafi jihadist organization based in Northeast Nigeria, notorious for its violent insurgency and declaration of allegiance to the Islamic State in 2015. Founded in 2002 by the radical cleric Mohammed Yusuf, the group seeks to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria governed by its strict interpretation of Sharia. Its activities have precipitated a major humanitarian crisis across the Lake Chad Basin, drawing extensive military intervention from regional and international forces.

History

The group emerged from the Salafist preaching of Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri during the early 2000s, capitalizing on widespread poverty, corruption, and political marginalization in Borno State. Following a violent crackdown by Nigerian security forces in 2009, known as the 2009 Boko Haram uprising, Yusuf was captured and executed, leading to a more militarized leadership under his deputy, Abubakar Shekau. Under Shekau, the insurgency intensified dramatically, with the group seizing territory, including the key town of Gwoza in 2014, which it declared the capital of its caliphate. In March 2015, Shekau pledged bay'ah to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, leading to its rebranding as the Islamic State – West Africa Province. This allegiance later caused a major factional split in 2016, when Islamic State central leadership recognized Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the provincial governor, challenging Shekau's authority.

Ideology and objectives

The group's core ideology is a radical form of Salafi jihadism that declares the Nigerian government and its institutions as taghut. It is vehemently opposed to Western education, which it views as corrupting, a stance encapsulated in the nickname "Boko Haram". Its primary objective is the overthrow of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the establishment of a caliphate governed by its interpretation of Sharia law. The group also promotes a strong anti-Western sentiment, targeting symbols of Christianity and international organizations, and employs takfir to justify violence against Muslims it deems non-compliant.

Leadership and structure

Following the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf, Abubakar Shekau assumed command, becoming known for his brutal tactics and media pronouncements. The group's structure under Shekau was relatively decentralized, with cells operating across the Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad islands. After the 2015 pledge to the Islamic State, the group integrated into the hierarchy of the Islamic State – West Africa Province, with leadership contested between Shekau's faction and the Abu Musab al-Barnawi faction endorsed by Islamic State central. Following Shekau's death during clashes with rival faction Islamic State in West Africa Province in 2021, leadership has passed through figures including Bakura Doron and, as of 2023, Abu Umar al-Barnawi.

Military activities and tactics

The group is infamous for its asymmetric warfare tactics, including suicide bombings, often using women and children as perpetrators, and large-scale assaults on military and civilian targets. It has conducted devastating raids on towns like Baga and Chibok, where it abducted 276 schoolgirls in 2014, an event that sparked the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign. Its fighters have utilized the rugged terrain of the Sambisa Forest and the marshes of Lake Chad as bases. The group also employs improvised explosive devices extensively and has engaged in complex battles with the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Nigerian Army.

Designation as a terrorist organization

The group was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States Department of State in November 2013. It is similarly proscribed by the United Nations Security Council, the African Union, and the European Union. The United Kingdom listed it as a terrorist group under the Terrorism Act 2000, and the Government of Nigeria officially banned it in 2013. These designations have facilitated international cooperation on sanctions, intelligence sharing, and military support for counter-insurgency operations led by the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Impact and humanitarian consequences

The insurgency has caused one of the world's most severe humanitarian disasters, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating over 35,000 deaths and the displacement of more than 2.5 million people within Nigeria and across the borders of Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. The crisis has devastated agriculture and trade in the Lake Chad Basin, pushing millions into severe food insecurity as reported by the World Food Programme. The group's systematic destruction of schools and health facilities, particularly in Borno State, Yobe State, and Adamawa State, has created a lost generation, with children deprived of education and vulnerable to recruitment.

Category:Militant Islamist groups in Nigeria Category:Islamic State Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States