Deaths Reported in Clashes Between Rival Boko Haram Factions

Boko Haram is split between factions loyal to Abu Musab al-Barnawi and to Abubakar Shekau.

By Ed Adamczyk, UPI


Clashes, resulting in several deaths, were reported between rival factions of the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. Forces loyal to new leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi and to Abubakar Shekau, pictured, have engaged in skirmishes in Nigeria's Borno state. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of justice

MONGUNO , Nigeria, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Several people were reported killed in sectarian battles within the Nigerian insurgent group Boko Haram, sources said.

The Islamic state-backed group has terrorized Nigeria and surrounding countries since 2009 in an attempt to establish a caliphate in western Africa. At least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in indiscriminate violence and about 2.6 million have been displaced.

Boko Haram saw a split in its ranks between followers of Abu Musab al-Barnawi, who took control in August after the reported death of Abubakar Shekau, and troops loyal to Shekau. Although the Nigerian army has said at least twice that it killed Shekau, he insists he is still in charge.

Don't you just hate it when dead people keep insisting they are alive?


Members surrendering

Sources mentioned by the online news organization Sahara Reporters said skirmishes in Nigeria's northern Borno state between troops loyal to al-Barnawi and to Shekau resulted in the deaths of several Shekau loyalists. Another 18 Boko Haram members, with their families, surrendered to Nigerian soldiers after the clashes, Ali Mohammed, a civilian vigilante protector of the town of Monguno, told Bloomberg News Wednesday.

"They are under custody of Monguno command and we believe the dual battle between Albarnawi and Shekau's camps may have compelled them to sneak out and surrender," Mohammed said.

The Nigerian army, which has said Boko Haram's influence is declining as the military concentrates its efforts on a counter-offensive aimed at eliminating the group, offered no comment on reports of the factional split.

Boko Haram Leader Shekau Says He's Still in Charge Despite IS Claim Otherwise

An audiotape by Abubakar Shekau said Abu Musab al-Barnawi attempted an overthrow of Boko Haram's leadership.

By Ed Adamczyk, UPI 

ABUJA, Nigeria, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The leader of Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram insists he is still in charge, accusing an alleged successor of staging a coup against him.

A magazine published earlier this week by the Islamic State, which regards the Nigerian organization as its West African affiliate, referred to Abu Musab al-Barnawi as Boko Haram's purported new leader. But a 10-minute audio message released Wednesday by Abubakar Shekau said he was still in charge.

Shekau accused Barnawi, who was previously Boko Haram's spokesman, of attempting a coup against his leadership.

The message was Shekau's first public pronouncement in a year, and suggests ideological differences within the Boko Haram hierarchy. Sources confirmed Shekau opposes Islamic State involvement in his militant group; in the message he denied hoarding food and ammunition, and engaging in reckless killing.

So it appears there is infighting within Boko Haram. That's a good thing, the more fighting they do among themselves, the less they can victimize innocent villagers.

His authoritarian reputation includes bragging about his power and the killing of his own troops at the slightest evidence of misdeeds, the New York-based news website Sahara Reporters noted.

Boko Haram is responsible for thousands of deaths in its seven-year attempt to overthrow the Nigerian government and establish an Islamic caliphate. In 2015, the Institute for Economics and Peace ranked Boko Haram as the deadliest terror organization in the world.

In the past 18 months, Nigeria's military, with the help of coalition troops from neighboring countries, have reclaimed much of the territory taken by the insurgent group.

Boko Haram Leader Shekau Replaced, Whereabouts Unknown

Only time will tell what this means for the poor people of northeast Nigeria

Islamic State announces new Boko Haram leader

Abu Musab al-Barnawi was described as the

Islamic State's new 'governor' in West Africa.

By Ed Adamczyk 

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, pictured, was replaced by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the Islamic State announced with no mention of Shekau's whereabouts. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

ABUJA, Nigeria, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Boko Haram, the Islamist insurgent group in Nigeria affiliated with the Islamic State, has a new leader, IS announced.

Abu Musab al-Barwani, formerly Boko Haram's spokesman, was identified in the weekly IS magazine Naba as its West African "governor." The magazine did not mention the whereabouts of the previous Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.

In a seven-year campaign to install a Muslim caliphate in Nigeria, over 20,000 people have been killed and millions have fled the country. The continued fighting provoked a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations and other agencies delivering food and medicine and warning of calamity if more aid is not delivered. A concerted campaign in the past 18 months, by Nigerian forces and coalition troops from neighboring countries, has severely weakened Boko Haram and taken back much of the territory it previously conquered; the insurgent group's response has been to take its fight to neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Little is known about Barnawi, who appeared in a 2015 Boko Haram video with a soft-spoken demeanor and his face blurred. The fate of his predecessor, Shekau, is equally mysterious. Known for his blustery, braggart manner, he has been declared killed by Nigerian forces several times, only to reappear in Boko Haram propaganda videos. He was most recently heard in an August 2015 announcement, saying that he remains alive. But he has not been seen since Boko Haram announced its alignment with IS in 2015.