Nigeria civil war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nigeria civil war - Essay Example By such a level of analysis, this student hopes to explain the conflict more fully. The â€Å"Who and What† of Boko Haram: Founded in 2001, the rebel Boko Haram is a Salafist Islamic insurgency that wants to overthrow the existing democratically elected government of Nigeria and replace it with a government founded upon Sharia’ah law. This particular group was founded in 2001 by Mohammed Yusuf. Keeping in line with the radical level of Islamic groups that exist throughout the world beginning at the turn of the 21st century, Yusef saw the existing Nigerian government as corrupt, worldly, and unrepresentative of the Islamic communities that live throughout northern reaches of Nigeria. In trying to understand the Nigerian Civil War to a more complete degree, one should understand the fact that Nigeria is a multiethnic, multiracial, and multi-religious society (Nwenta, 2013). A large percentage of Nigeria is Christian; whereas a large minority is Muslim. It should not be un derstood that the entire Muslim population supports Boko Haram. However, a great deal of support has been generated for Boko Haram within territory that it occupies due to repression, threats, and a certain level of approval on the part of the general population. The Government and Natural Resource Wealth: From the government perspective, it must be understood that Nigeria is a resource rich territory. The government has been able to fund its activities and provide basic services to its population due to the fact that it gains a high level of revenue from these natural resources. This is both a blessing and a curse due to the fact that the Islamic insurgency is interested in getting its hands on the revenue from the economy. In order to understand the Civil War to a more effective degree, it must also be understood that neither side of this particular struggle is ultimately representative of the â€Å"good† or the â€Å"bad† (Yenta, 2013). Two Sides to a Bloody Situati on: Whereas it is true that Boko Haram has been responsible for many tragedies, such as murdering entire villages and/or killing indiscriminately based only upon religion, the governmental response to this separatist movement/civil war has been equally heavy-handed. Many examples exist of the government forces indiscriminately murdering large groups of people due to the fact that they supported or gave refuge in some way shape or form to Boko Haram. This ultimately is a counterproductive effort on the part of the strategic resolution to the Nigerian Civil War. Due to the fact that the government response has been so heavy-handed, it has oftentimes turned individuals away from the government into the arms of Boko Haram. In order to understand this insurgency to a more full and complete degree, it is necessary to understand the disillusionment that has taken place within Nigeria. Many individuals involved in the Civil War have only come to be involved due to the fact that they no long er believe that the government can have a positive impact in their lives. In this way, they turn to Boko Haram as a way of seeking to find another path in the process of nation building. Many outside nations have tried to provide support for the government; however, the level of corruption and the failure of government forces to be able to secure their own territory