The Issue

Since 2009, Boko Haram, a radical Islamist group, has fought against the secular government of Nigeria. The group has killed tens of thousands leading to widespread displacement. Nigerian forces, with assistance from neighboring countries, managed to push Boko Haram out of several provinces in Nigeria, but was unable to fully curtail the violence.

The Nigerian government at times requested international assistance in the fight against Boko Haram.  Most of these came in the form of military equipment. Some countries, including the United States,  provided limited support. However,  many voiced hesitations because of human rights abuses by Nigeria’s security services. International humanitarian organizations and the international press have reported extensive abuses by Nigerian forces. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that these abuses drive public support for Boko Haram. Observers have estimated that during certain periods the security services have killed as many civilians as Boko Haram. Even so, the Nigerian government largely dismissed the charges and conducted few credible investigations. 

Muhammadu Buhari, who became Nigeria’s president in 2015, claimed he would restore discipline within the military. In September 2015, he promised to issue new rules of engagement designed to protect civilians. However, these steps appear to have had little practical consequence.  In 2015, the human rights organization Amnesty International began issuing reports every year documenting ongoing human rights abuses. These reports included details about unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture.

Accountability for abuses by the military remained elusive. The government refrained from launching a formal investigation into a 2014 incident in which the army killed some 640 recaptured prison escapees alleged to be members of Boko Haram. In December 2015, the army killed several hundred members of a Shiite sect known as the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN).  The army claimed that they had attacked the motorcade of the chief of army staff. A 2016 inquiry found the Nigerian army responsible for the killings, condemned the IMN for provoking the attack, and called for all involved parties to be prosecuted. Nigeria’s justice system did not take any further legal action. 

Decision Point–Set in 2017

Reports have recently emerged from Northeast Nigeria of a suicide bombing by Boko Haram This bombing has killed at least 50 people and wounded many others. The attack has inflamed popular criticism of President Buhari, who was elected on a promise to restore security by destroying Boko Haram. It has prompted several neighboring governments, alongside those with prominent economic ties with Nigeria, to express concern that Nigeria appears unable to contain the crisis.

The UN Secretary-General has called a meeting of the UN Security Council. The hope is to address the unrest in Nigeria, with regard to both the presence of Boko Haram and the human rights violations committed by Nigerian armed forces. Nigeria is a regional power and major contributor to UN peacekeeping forces. On the other hand, it is a fragile state facing a serious insurgency. Likewise, its forces are widely deemed responsible for significant violations of human rights. As they address the situation in Nigeria, member states will need to weigh the desire for a timely response to a crisis against the need to secure support from as many council members as possible, especially permanent members.