Ansaru
Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa Northern Mali conflict (suspected)[11] | |
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Designated as a terrorist group by | see section |
The Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa (
Ideology
Unlike Boko Haram, whose ideology is focused on Nigeria, Ansaru is more internationally orientated. Its beliefs are closely aligned to those of
Ansaru's motto is "Jihad Fi Sabilillah", meaning "struggle for the cause of Allah".[14]
On 2 January 2022, it was reported by FDD's Long War Journal that Ansaru had reaffirmed its allegiance to al-Qaeda.[15]
History
Foundation
Ansaru's exact origin is unclear, but it is known that the group emerged as a faction of Boko Haram, an extremist Islamist movement that launched an
Having returned to Nigeria, Khalid Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar disagreed with other Boko Haram commanders over the indiscriminate killing of civilians, urging a more concentrated effort against Western and high-profile targets.[12] As result of these disagreements, Ansaru officially split from Boko Haram in January 2012.[12][17][18] Khalid Barnawi denounced Boko Haram's actions as "inhuman to the Muslim Ummah".[9] Ansaru became al-Qaeda's de facto branch in Nigeria,[8] and even occasionally called itself "al-Qaeda in the Lands Beyond the Sahel".[9] Ansaru elected Abubakar Adam Kambar as its first commander, but he was killed in August 2012, whereupon Khalid Barnawi became the group's leader.[8]
Operations
Unlike Boko Haram, which is largely based in
Throughout its insurgent activity in Nigeria, Ansaru closely cooperated with Boko Haram despite being its rival. This was mostly out of necessity, as the two factions could not risk weakening themselves by fighting each other.[23]
Attacks that Ansaru has claimed responsibility for include a prison break at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters in Abuja in November 2012,[4] a January 2013 attack on a convoy of Nigerian troops on their way to participate in the Northern Mali conflict[24][20] and a 23 May 2013 attack on a French-owned uranium mine in Niger in cooperation with Mokhtar Belmokhtar.[25]
The group also carried out a number of kidnappings in Nigeria, including the May 2011 abductions of a Briton and an Italian from Kebbi State, the December 2012 kidnapping of a French engineer, Francis Collomp,[26] in Katsina State and the February 2013 kidnapping of seven foreigners (four Lebanese, a Briton, an Italian and a Greek) from a construction site in Bauchi State.[27] Collomp escaped in November 2013.[28] Ansaru executed the hostages taken in both May 2011 and February 2013 following what it said were failed rescue attempts by the British and Nigerian governments.[29]
Decline
Several of Ansaru's commanders were reported as returning to Boko Haram over 2013.
Although its operations had largely ceased by this point, Ansaru continued to have an online presence by late 2017, suggesting that several members of the group remained in hiding, possibly waiting for an opportunity to revive the group.[5]
Resurgence
Then, in what is its first claimed operation since 2013, Ansaru announced via Al-Qaeda's Al Hijrah Media that it was behind the 14 January 2020 attack on a convoy of the Emir of Potiskum which was travelling on Kaduna-Zaria road in which 30 people, including six Nigerian Army soldiers, were killed. [31]
Designation as terrorist organization
Ansaru is designated as a proscribed terrorist organization by Iraq,[32] United States,[33] New Zealand[34] and the United Kingdom.[24][35]
See also
References
- ^ "Boko Haram : Splinter group, Ansaru emerges - Vanguard News". Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f ICG 2014, pp. 26, 27.
- ^ a b "Khalid al-Barnawi: Nigeria Islamist group head 'arrested'". BBC News. 3 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Ansaru: A Profile of Nigeria's Newest Jihadist Movement". Jamestown Foundation. 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ a b c Jacob Zenn (9 December 2017). "Electronic Jihad in Nigeria: How Boko Haram Is Using Social Media". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- ^ a b Comolli (2015), p. 103.
- ^ ""L'intervention française au Mali a déplacé la menace djihadiste vers le sud"". LEFIGARO. 18 November 2013. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b c ICG 2014, p. 27.
- ^ a b c d Magnus Taylor (24 October 2013). "Expert interview: Jacob Zenn – On terrorism and insurgency in Northern Nigeria". African Arguments. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Hot Issue: Boko Haram's Mass-Kidnapping in Chibok: Shekau's Gains and Objectives". Jamestown. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b Comolli (2015), pp. 103, 171.
- ^ a b c d ICG 2014, p. 26.
- ^ "ABU USMATUL AL-ANSARI ANNOUNCES BOKO HARAM BREAKAWAY FACTION". Jamestown Foundation. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- ^ "Boko Haram : Splinter group, Ansaru emerges". Vanguard Newspaper. 1 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
- ^ "Ansaru reaffirms its allegiance to al Qaeda | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. 2 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ ICG 2014, pp. ii, 22, 26.
- ^ "Jihadist divisions grow in Nigeria". Long War Journal. 23 February 2015. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
Kambar was killed in 2012, however, and Barnawi (also known as Abu Usama al Ansari) then assumed the number one position.
- ^ Chothia, Farouk (19 February 2013). "Profile: Who are Nigeria's Ansaru Islamists?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Boko Haram: Reversals and Retrenchment". Combating Terrorism Center. 29 April 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Islamists Ansaru claim attack on Mali-bound Nigeria troops: paper". Reuters. 20 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.
- ^ Comolli (2015), p. 81.
- ^ Comolli (2015), p. 28.
- ^ Comolli (2015), pp. 28, 68.
- ^ a b Comolli (2015), p. 171.
- ^ a b "Nigerian al-Qaedaism". Hudson Institute. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ e-TF1. "TF1 video". Lci.tf1.fr. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ansaru: new threat in restive northern Nigeria". AFP. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Frenchman escaped 11 months captivity in Nigeria". Yahoo News. 17 November 2013. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "Nigerian Islamists Ansaru 'kill 7 foreign hostages". Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- ^ "Secret trials of thousands of Boko Haram suspects to start in Nigeria". The Guardian. 9 October 2017. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- ^ "Ansaru publicly returns to Nigeria" Archived 17 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine. FDD’s Long War Journal. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ al-Taie, Khalid. "Iraqi government freezes assets of 93 terrorism supporting entities". Diyaruna. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Nigeria's Boko Haram Remains Persistent, Mysterious Threat". Voice of America. 14 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- ^ "Lists associated with Resolution 1373". New Zealand Police. 20 July 2014. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ^ List of Proscribed Terrorist Groups Home Office of the British government Archived February 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
- Comolli, Virginia (2015). Boko Haram: Nigeria's Islamist Insurgency. London: Oxford University Press.
- "Curbing Violence in Nigeria (II): The Boko Haram Insurgency" (PDF). Africa Report (216). Brussels: International Crisis Group. 3 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2016.
Further reading
- Onuoha, Freedon. "Jama'atu Ansarul Musilimina Fi Biladis Sudan: Nigeria's Evolving Militant Group" (PDF). Al Jazeera. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.