Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan needs to take firm political action

A serious outbreak of Islamist violence has forced Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the three north-eastern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa. Militants from Boko Haram and its allies have been blamed for the violence, which has left 2,000 people dead since 2010.

The Islamist group, whose name means ‘Western education is forbidden’ in the Hausa language, has said that it wants to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, to which end it has built a campaign of terror and violence, including bombing the capital Abuja several times in the past two years.

The real danger is that the native Nigerian militants have formed a close working alliance with Al Qaida-linked militants in the wider Sahara region, which has given them access to increasingly sophisticated weaponry. The Nigerian government is acutely aware that Boko Haram may seek to mount a similar operation to what happened in nearby Mali, when the government lost control of a large part of its territory.

However, President Jonathan cannot just unleash his troops on the north east. He has to do a lot more to win the battle for hearts and minds. Allegations of gross abuses by the troops simply help to boost popular support for Boko Haram. The president needs to organise a successful political answer to Boko Haram, which would stop this dangerous radical group from getting any more traction.