“Sweat is invisible in the rain”: Civilian Joint Task Force and counter-insurgency in Borno State, Nigeria
Journal Title: Security and Defence Quarterly - Year 2020, Vol 31, Issue 4
Abstract
Political, ethnic and religious conflict has given rise to insurgency groups employing a variety of strategies worldwide. In Nigeria, civilians in strife-torn Borno State have formed a number of counter-insurgency (COIN) groups, among which the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) has emerged as a major player. The group began in 2009 as a simple call for volunteers, and now numbers over 26 000 men and women. While research has been conducted on other COIN groups, little is known of CJTF. Concerns have been raised about the CJTF metamorphosing into an ethnic militia, accused of human rights abuses, robbery, rape and hooliganism. Despite these reported atrocities, local people support them, regarding them as unsung heroes. The study investigates the group’s potential as a useful counter insurgency measure, using David Galula’s COIN theory to analyse the group’s actions and to contest the dualistic understanding of conventional vs unconventional, local peacebuilding approaches. The study adopts a qualitative, ethnographic methodology, locating the research in the context of global development and security discourse. The study aims to establish the value of the CJTF COIN group, to position unconventional local COIN as a viable complementary to conventional methods and to proffer clues as to how security initiatives may more successfully combat Islamic insurgency in Nigeria. The study employed both primary and secondary data. Field work for the study was carried out for six months between 2018 and 2019 in Maiduguri Metropolis and its environs in Borno State.
Authors and Affiliations
Seun Bamidele
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP705834
- DOI https://doi.org/10.35467/sdq/130867
- Views 80
- Downloads 0
Comparative study regarding the last 25 years of the Croatian Defence Academy “dr. Franjo Tuđman”
Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy is a military-educational institution of the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF). Its mission is to prepare and qualify, through education and training, officers, NCOs and civil servant...
Modern aspects of the development of security in air transport under the conditions of air terrorism
The authors determined the following aim of this article: identifying threats generated by air terrorism as well as characterizing the forms, methods, and manners. Authors used theoretical methods of research. The artic...
The transformation of global international society and the security agenda. Interview with Professor Barry Buzan
This article is Interview with Professor Barry Buzan about the transformation of global international society and the security agenda.
Effectiveness of training: The conceptual framework and methodological strategy of a longitudinal study in the Portuguese armed forces
Considering that this research is still ongoing, this paper focuses on the presentation of the conceptual framework and its interconnection with the methodological strategy for the empirical study that aims to study the...
Russia's return to the superpower status
The elite of Russian power and Russian society have never come to terms with the collapse of the Soviet Union. They also did not accept the world order with the primary role of the United States. The purpose of this arti...