UN urges African forces to fight Boko Haram

The UN Security Council has urged central African countries to boost plans for a regional force to fight Boko Haram, as the Nigerian militant group escalates cross-border raids on neighbouring Cameroon
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State of emergency

Detail area

NIGERIA

Abuja

Lagos

Cameroon

NIGER

CHAD

Lake Chad

Baga

BORNO

Maiduguri

Bama

Gwoza: Boko Haram HQ

Maroua Chad sends troops to aid Cameroon

NIGERIA

ADAMAWA

Yola

Mokolo: 50 peopleseized by militants

100km 60 miles

Potiskum

YOBE

Gombe

Gulani

Boko Haram control

Recent attacks
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BOKO HARAM PROFILE

Leader: Abubakar Shekau. Est. 9,000 fighters

2002: Boko Haram founded by Mohammed Yusuf to establish Islamic state in northern Nigeriaby non-violent means

2009: Begins militant operations.Yusuf arrested, dies in custody. Shekau(right) takes over

2011: Group begins conducting vehicle-borneimprovised explosive device attacks and suicide attacks. Some $3 million netted from bank robberies

2013: Government declares state of emergency in three northeasternprovinces. Boko Haram receives almost $17 million in ransom from French government

2014: Vehicle-borne attacks surge.Over 270 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok in April. Operations spreadinto Cameroon, Chad and Niger

Funding: Group reportedly gets hundreds of thousands of dollars per month from several prominent politicians

Training: Provided by al-Qaedain the Islamic Maghreb and Somali militant group al-Shabab
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Number of fatalities from Boko Haram insurgency

*2014 data for January to August 

2009 794

2010 112 

2011 389

2012 1,918

2013 2,742

2014 5,156
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Sources: Stratfor, Johns Hopkins University, wire agencies

Picture: AP

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