Combatant Experiences in Multi-Ethnic Extremist Groups

Identity and Allegiance in Boko Haram
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-89043-2
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 168 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 453 g

Reihe: Political Violence

This book uses Boko Haram as a case study to delve into the operations of extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on the unique cultural contexts in which they function.

The book explores how such groups navigate ethnically diverse environments and manage to forge a sense of collective homogeneity, even in the face of internal diversity. Drawing from first-hand interviews with ex-fighters and a thorough examination of the group's operational dynamics—including recruitment, indoctrination, combat leadership, and unit behaviour—the book identifies moments when, despite Boko Haram's aim to transcend ethnic boundaries, ethnicity nonetheless becomes a defining factor within specific combatant units. It develops a theoretical framework to explain these instances, building on and extending existing socialisation theories to understand when and why socialisation processes fail, ultimately causing ethnicity to resurface within these units. By exploring how tribal and ethnic considerations influence the group's functioning, this book provides a more nuanced understanding of contemporary insurgent groups and the social forces that shape them.

This book will be of much interest to students of political violence, African politics, and security studies.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate, Professional Reference, and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Micheni, Makena

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Afrikanische Geschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Gewalt Terrorismus, Religiöser Fundamentalismus
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Kultur Staatsbürgerkunde, Staatsbürgerschaft, Zivilgesellschaft
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Militärwesen Nationale und Internationale Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Insurgent Organisation Chapter 3: History Chapter 4: Recruitment Chapter 5: Shaping the Identity of Boko Haram: Age and Socio-Economic Vulnerability Chapter 6: Ethnicity and its Effect in Boko Haram Chapter 7: Combatant Socialisation and the Role of Leadership Chapter 8: Life after Boko Haram Chapter 9: Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Makena Micheni is a Kenyan Levin JRF Peace Studies Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, UK. She earned her PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.