The Situation

The Radical Islamist movement Boko Haram is waging an insurgency in northeast Nigeria estimated to have killed at least twenty thousand people in recent years. The insurgency threatens the stability of Nigeria, a major oil producer and Africa’s most populous country. Nigerian security forces have made some progress against Boko Haram, but humanitarian and media organizations have reported extensive human rights abuses by these forces, including the killing of civilians. Following a massive Boko Haram attack in Lagos, The UN Secretary General has called a meeting of the UN Security Council to address the unrest in Nigeria, with regard to both the presence of Boko Haram and the human rights violations committed by the Nigerian armed forces. The response will entail balancing a variety of considerations, including Nigeria’s role as a regional power and major contributor to UN peacekeeping forces, the threat posed by Boko Haram’s insurgency, and the significant violations of human rights committed by Nigerian forces.

Concepts

• Human rights
• Insurgency
• Oil and other natural resources
• Terrorism and counterterrorism
• Peacekeeping

Issues

• Nigerian political and religious dynamics 
• Promotion of human rights, democratization, and the rule of law
• Regional security in West Africa