Obsession with global security

(Baonghean) - In a recording recently uploaded to the internet, the leader of the Boko Haram Islamic militant group in Nigeria has officially pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS). Both are on the list of the 10 most dangerous terrorist groups in the world in 2015, the alliance between IS and Boko Haram will certainly become a terrifying obsession for global security in the coming time.

Boko Haram militants under the IS flag.

Absolute commitment

“We declare our allegiance to the Caliph Ibramhim (Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of IS, often calls himself Caliph Ibramhim), and we will obey and obey him in times of hardship and prosperity. We call on our Muslim brothers all over the world to swear allegiance to the Caliph Ibramhim” – this is the oath given in an audio recording posted on the Twitter account of Boko Haram. The speaker in this recording is believed to be Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram.

Although not yet confirmed, Jacob Zenn, an expert at the Jamestown Foundation, a terrorist organization, said that the Boko Haram recording is highly authentic. Analysis shows that some details in the message may have been faked, but the voice in the tape is Shekau. If this tape is authentic, Boko Haram will be the next group to "fall under the banner" of IS, like jihadist groups in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen and Saudi Arabia before. However, according to tradition, to officially establish an alliance between IS and Boko Haram, it is necessary to have IS's approval through a message announced by the organization's spokesperson.

Birds of a feather flock together

According to the list published by Straitstimes earlier this year, IS ranked first among the 10 most dangerous terrorist groups in the world in 2015. No one doubts the brutality and danger of IS, when in just one year, from a small group rejected by al-Qaeda, IS has become the most "cold-blooded" Islamic terrorist organization in the world with methods such as brutal execution of hostages such as beheading, burning alive, massacre of thousands of people, rape and sex trafficking, kidnapping, luring children to join jihadist organizations... Changing its name to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), declaring itself to have authority in all political, military and religious matters of Muslim communities around the world, IS's goal is to establish an Islamic state of Sunnis in Iraq and the Near East, including Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus and Hatay province in southern Türkiye. With the symbolic black flag, IS mercilessly attacks Shiite Muslim communities, forcing people living in areas occupied by the rebels to comply with the harsh Islamic law sharia, and convert to Islam if they are of another religion.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram is ranked 7th on the list of “10 most dangerous terrorist groups in the world”. Boko Haram controls about 20,000 square miles in northern and central Nigeria, aiming to impose its strict Islamic rule in the African country. With a name that means “Western education is sinful”, Boko Haram prohibits Muslims from doing anything Western-related such as voting, wearing shirts or trousers or getting a conventional education. In January this year, Boko Haram swept through the town of Baga, killing 2,000 people. Last year, the group kidnapped hundreds of schoolchildren, of which 200 girls are still missing. Recently, Boko Haram has used women and girls to carry out suicide bombings. Most recently, on March 7, four bombs exploded, killing at least 50 people in Maiduguri City, Nigeria, and this was the worst attack since the Boko Haram group tried to take over the city earlier this year.

Although only ranked 7th in the list of “10 most dangerous terrorist groups in the world”, it is likely that Boko Haram will quickly “rise in rank” as the methods of this rebel group have recently become increasingly brutal and quite similar to what IS has done. Boko Haram also carries out stoning and beheading of victims. Not only that, Boko Haram also records these executions and posts them on social media to increase their influence, as IS often does. People can clearly see the similarity in a recent video, when Boko Haram took the scene of the film to be Baga Town, Borno State, Northeast Nigeria.

Each camera angle or frame is quite similar to the photos taken by IS in Kobani, a town near the Syrian-Turkish border that IS has lost. As affirmed by Mr. Jacob Zenn, an expert from the Jamestown Foundation, "it is possible that factions within Boko Haram have different views, but it is clear that this terrorist organization is leaning towards IS in terms of doctrine, ideology or even organization." This is even more evident when currently, Boko Haram's media has mentioned the terms "Islamic State of Africa" ​​or "Islamic State of West Africa". With these similarities, it is not surprising if IS and Boko Haram officially "join hands", forming an "evil alliance" that brings terrifying obsession to the whole world.

Win-win

Since the middle of last year, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has also voiced his support for IS activities, using IS's declaration of war as background music in Boko Haram's videos. Not only that, Shekau also declared that the lands under the group's control are also part of the Islamic coalition. However, at the same time expressing his support for IS, Shekau also said that he always prays for al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Taliban leader Mullah Omar. These moves by Shekau have left analysts confused, not knowing for sure which terrorist group Boko Haram will ally with. But now, Boko Haram has the final answer about its choice: it is IS.

If the alliance is established, Boko Haram will transform from a local jihadist group into an African branch of IS. That would give Boko Haram so-called “legitimacy” in recruiting fighters, finding financial and logistical resources as it expands into countries in West Africa. In addition, Boko Haram will have IS guidance in using the media to expand its influence, managing the areas it has gained control of, etc. Previously, Boko Haram was still considered an isolated jihadist group, but that will change when it becomes a branch of the IS alliance.

On the contrary, IS will also have great benefits if it accepts Boko Haram. IS's biggest goal is to expand the scope of its "Islamic State" activities worldwide, so with the joining of Boko Haram, IS will further strengthen its image as a global alliance when it naturally has a large territory in Northern Nigeria. Another detail that makes IS interested in Boko Haram is that in the current Boko Haram organization, there is a branch that includes rebels from the former Ansura organization. Ansura - also known as the branch of al-Qaeda in Nigeria and still has close ties with IS even after it has surrendered to Boko Haram. Accepting Boko Haram will help eliminate some ideological differences between the Ansura branch and the rest of Boko Haram, thereby helping IS to carry out its actions in the North and West Africa region much more conveniently.

The benefits that IS and Boko Haram gain from their alliance also mean an increased danger to global security. Nigerian government spokesman Mike Omeri also had to exclaim: “It is very sad… We call on the international community to wake up to this growing disaster.” Obviously, IS and Boko Haram alone are enough to bring insecurity to this world. Therefore, when these dangerous terrorists join hands, the international community will certainly have to make many times more efforts in the fight against terrorism.

Thuy Ngoc