Abstract

Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, seeking to impose radical Islam in Nigeria and Cameroon, has brought about a major crisis in the social, political and religious life of these two countries. In fact, the crisis may have already spilled over to other states of the Central Africa Subregion, influenced by Western culture through colonialism, capitalism and modernisation. To the already complex and often unsettling transformations in the economic, social and cultural make-up of African societies, Boko Haram adds a violent attempt to create a kind of a new African identity, which would be radically and decisively Islamic. So far, all opposition to Boko Haram has proved ineffective. Though it has been condemned far and wide, governments have fallen short of any meaningful intervention, especially a military one, to check its progress. It is hard to escape an impression that political and economic solidarity, both on local and international level, is proving itself powerless in the face of the "holy war" waged by Boko Haram, leaving those trapped in the middle of it to fend for themselves.

Authors and Affiliations