Tag Archives: Boko Haram

How realistic are expectations about Africa’s economic prospects? There are several reasons why we should be both optimistic and cautious about the continent's future economic performance.

Weapons are pouring out of Africa's most oil-rich country while extremist fighters tumble in. The toxic legacy of Gaddafi’s divisive and authoritarian regime, which pitted Libya’s diverse factions against one another, has plagued the prospects for any central authority gaining widespread legitimacy in the war-torn country.

What appears to be a peaceful transference of presidential power in Nigeria -- unprecedented in the country's history -- has global significance in the fight against religious extremism.

With elections slated for 15 sub-Saharan African states in 2015, Africa Check looks ahead at the polls for executive leadership in five volatile states.

The destruction of Boko Haram will not necessarily lead to a more peaceful and stable Nigeria. The extremist group rose out of a toxic brew of corruption, religion, politics and ethno-regionalism, in which struggles over Nigeria’s vast oil revenues have played out for decades.

Were 2,000 people killed or the toll was 150 in the Islamist militant group Boko Haram attack on northern Nigerian town of Baga and nearby villages in early January.

For some parts of Africa 2014 has been a bad year. Wars in South Sudan and the Central African Republic continued, and Libya all but imploded. But the year was also good for ruling parties and former liberation movements in Southern Africa. From Namibia to Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique, those in power stayed in power.

A major crisis in brewing in northeastern Nigeria where more than 400,000 people, who have been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing violence by militant Islamist group Boko Haram, are in "urgent need" of assistance, humanitarian agencies say. This number is likely to increase as attacks against civilians escalate.

Boko Haram has long wanted to carve out its own country in north-eastern Nigeria. It’s always been an improbable goal – until now. Emboldened by the successes in Iraq and Syria of the Islamic State, Boko Haram has changed its tactics and is closer than ever before to realizing an Islamic state of its own.

International human rights advocacy group Amnesty International on Friday accused the Nigerian government of knowing hours beforehand of the threat to hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls still missing but not taking action to protect them ahead of their abduction.   “Amnesty International has confirmed through various sources that Nigeria’s military headquarters in Maiduguri [130 km from the kidnapping] was aware of the impending …