While in much of Western media Boko Haram seems to be spoken of simply as a terrorist Islamic group, the perception of the group in Cameroon and Nigeria is quite complicated. This explains why Western responses to the group seems to be different from what governments in Cameroon and Nigeria do. In Cameroon and Nigeria, Boko Haram is spoken of in terms of groups that are dissatisfied with the politics of the countries rather than as terrorist groups. Thus, in Cameroon and Nigeria, Boko Haram is seen more as an opposition movement than a terrorist group. That explains why the first response of the government of Nigeria to the worldwide news of the abducted girls was located within the politics of the opposition in the country. The First Lady of Nigeria's initial claim that the abduction was a ploy of the opposition to smear her husband was an honest statement of this position.
The same could be said of the perception of Boko Haram in Cameroon. While the government of the country seems to be fortifying porous northern borders to stave the incursion of Boko Haram, potential opposition figures in the Far North of the country are seen as supporters of Boko Haram. Recently, a newspaper in Cameroon came up with a list of persons, mostly people in the Far North of the country who are seen as opposition figures, described as backers of Boko Haram. Incidentally, the name of the vice prime minister of Cameroon, Amadou Ali, was on the list. Now that Amadou Ali's wife has been abducted by Boko Haram, many in the country would see not the action of a sinister terrorist group but the machination of a shrewd politician who wanted to raise the profile of Boko Haram in Cameroon. The abduction of his wife would therefore be read as a hoax. This makes the problem of Boko Haram in Cameroon and Nigeria quite complex.
La Nouvelle, a Cameroon newspaper, claims to have a list of mostly northern Cameroonians who are seen as supporters of Boko Haram. Amadou Ali's name appeared in the list.
No comments:
Post a Comment