COMPARING AL-SHABAAB (KENYA) AND BOKO HARAM (NIGERIA): BETWEEN RELIGIOUS PROSELYTISING AND TERRORISM
COMPARING AL-SHABAAB (KENYA) AND BOKO HARAM (NIGERIA): BETWEEN RELIGIOUS PROSELYTISING AND TERRORISM

Summary/Abstract: THIS PAPER EXAMINES AL-SHABAAB AND BOKO HARAM ACTIVITIES IN KENYA AND NIGERIA. IT EXAMINES THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN EXPRESSED RHETORIC; CAUSAL FACTORS OF VIOLENT ACTIVITIES AND THE MODES OF OPERATION OF THE TWO MOST DREADED ARMED GROUPS IN AFRICA. RELYING ON PRIMARY, SECONDARY DATA AND CONTENT ANALYSIS OF RELEVANT LITERATURE, THE OPINIONS AND FINDINGS FROM SECURITY DEPARTMENTS, IDPS, AND INFORMATION ON THE DATELINE OF ATTACKS IN NIGERIA AND KENYA HELPS IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BOKO HARAM AND AL-SHABAAB CARRY OUT THEIR ACTIVITIES. ALSO, THEIR OBJECTIVES AND TARGET, ARMS AND WEAPONS USED AND OTHER OPERATIONAL MODES PROVIDE THE BASE FOR COMPARISON. THE COMPARATIVE METHOD IS ADOPTED TO SHOW THAT AL-SHABAAB AND BOKO HARAM ARE SIMILAR IN THEIR MODES OF OPERATION IN SOME ASPECTS AND ARE DIFFERENT IN OTHERS. THE TWO GROUPS COMBINE ELEMENTS OF LIBERATION MOVEMENTS, INSURGENT MOVEMENT, SEPARATIST AND ISLAMIST MOVEMENTS. THEY ALSO HAVE ELEMENTS OF MILITIA, ARMED GROUPS AND REBEL MOVEMENT. AND, FUNDAMENTALLY, AL-SHABAAB AND BOKO HARAM ADOPTS TERRORISM STRATEGIES AND TACTICS COUPLED WITH CONVENTIONAL MILITARY TYPE OPERATIONS BUT BOKO HARAM HAVE BEEN MORE LETHAL IN ADOPTING MILITARY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS SUCH AS GROUND BATTLE AND DIRECT ASSAULT AGAINST THE STATE MILITARY THAN AL-SHABAAB IN KENYA.

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