Boko Haram insurgency in Adamawa state Opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation

Abstract

Boko Haram insurgency that has been waging in Adamawa state since 2009 has taken its toll on the lives of the people leading to the destruction of lives and properties and large population displacement. Although the group has been severely weakened and many of the towns and communities under its control have been liberated, it has demonstrated capacity to continue to attack and raid communities at will leaving in their wake death, destruction and a growing feeling of despondency. It has become clear that the military option may not be sufficient to end the insurgency and this has led to growing calls to the federal government of Nigeria to consider dialogue and reconciliation as another option for ending the insurgency. Although previous governments and some national leaders have tried to initiate dialogue with the group, the general opinion of observers especially victims and their communities, is that government has not demonstrated enough will to identify the right actors and engage them in dialogue. This research examines the nature of Boko Haram conflict in Adamawa state, the current situation and the perceptions of the major actors about dialogue and reconciliation as a viable option for resolving the insurgency. The research also identified those actors that can best promote dialogue and reconciliation and the strategies by which they can be approached. The methodology for the research is the mixed method utilising both the primary data (KII and FGDs) which were analysed using the interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) and the secondary data collected was analysed using content analysis.