Institutional Counterinsurgency Frameworks in Africa’s Lake Chad Basin and the Operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force Against Boko Haram

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dc.contributor.advisorStapleton, Timothy
dc.contributor.authorAdela, Gershon
dc.contributor.committeememberHuebert, Robert Neil
dc.contributor.committeememberApentiik, Rowland Anyebadek
dc.date2021-11
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-04T15:26:26Z
dc.date.available2021-05-04T15:26:26Z
dc.date.issued2021-04-30
dc.description.abstractThe Islamist group, Jama’atul Alhul Sunnah Lidda’wati wal Jihad, translated as “people committed to the propagation of the Prophet’s teachings and jihad” is commonly known as Boko Haram which means “Western education is forbidden.” Boko Haram originated in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Borno in 2002, but its violent activities extend into neighboring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger in the Lake Chad Basin. Such transnational dimension of the group’s violence and its increasing sophistication necessitated the establishment of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) as a sub-regional coalition to combat it. The Task Force comprises troops from the affected member states in the Lake Chad Basin and Benin Republic with the African Union (AU) as its strategic partner. The MNJTF’s member states are split between the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Nigeria, Niger, and Benin Republic are members of the former while Chad and Cameroon belong to the latter. Irrespective of the existence of a sub-regional counterinsurgency force, Boko Haram remains very resilient and continues to launch lethal attacks across the Lake Chad Basin. Yet, the institutional conditions that account for the ineffectiveness of the MNJTF’s operations have not been studied. The thesis explored the influence of the counterinsurgency frameworks of AU, ECOWAS, and ECCAS on the operations of the MNJTF against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin. The thesis utilized the Regional Security Complex Theory by Barry Buzan and Ole Wæver as the framework of analysis and Policy Analysis as the methodological approach. The study found that the institutional counterinsurgency frameworks of the AU, ECOWAS and ECCAS have undermined military cooperation and intelligence sharing among the MNJTF’s member states due to their emphasis on single-state counterinsurgency efforts, their respect for and protection of states’ territorial sovereignty, and distortions in their counterinsurgency approaches. The study, therefore, recommended that the Lake Chad Basin Commission formulates its own counterinsurgency strategy. Also, the MNJTF should establish common values and principles for its member states, adopt a top-to-bottom joint command and coordination mechanism, and establish its own technical units to aid its operations.en_US
dc.identifier.citationAdela, G. (2021). Institutional Counterinsurgency Frameworks in Africa’s Lake Chad Basin and the Operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force Against Boko Haram (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38815
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/113351
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectInsurgency and Counterinsurgencyen_US
dc.subjectBoko Haramen_US
dc.subjectLake Chad Basinen_US
dc.subjectLake Chad Basin Commissionen_US
dc.subjectMultinational Joint Task Forceen_US
dc.subjectAfrican Union (AU)en_US
dc.subjectEconomic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)en_US
dc.subjectEconomic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)en_US
dc.subjectTerrorism and Counterterrorismen_US
dc.subject.classificationHistory--Africanen_US
dc.subject.classificationHistory--Militaryen_US
dc.subject.classificationMilitary Studiesen_US
dc.subject.classificationPolitical Science--International Law and Relationsen_US
dc.titleInstitutional Counterinsurgency Frameworks in Africa’s Lake Chad Basin and the Operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force Against Boko Haramen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMilitary & Strategic Studiesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Strategic Studies (MSS)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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