Between the ‘kanuri’ and others: Giving a face to a jihad with neither borders nor tribes in the lake chad basin

Abstract

One of the common explanations for the expansion of Boko Haram in Lake Chad Basin is to consider that it has been fostered by the links between the jihadist movement and Kanuris. Indeed, the area of this insurgency largely covers the historical settlement area of Kanuris between northeastern Nigeria, the far-north of Cameroon and southeastern of Niger. Many Boko Haram supporters are from Kanuri populations. Yet many victims of this insurgency also belong to this community. Based on observations made in the far-north of Cameroon, this chapter calls into question the primacy of community ties in the diffusion of Boko Haram. It highlights the ability of the jihadist movement to undermine the tribal system upon which the state has always based its local domination. In particular, it shows how Boko Haram, whose social base is in reality trans-communal, has been able to take advantage of inequalities and divisions within tribes to create links stronger than community ties. This has taken place in a context of contestation of state and community elites by the marginalized peoples living in these border areas.