Boko Haram rejected claims from Nigeria’s military that it has been routed
\nby a four-nation offensive in a video released online on Tuesday, which
\ndoes not show the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau.<\/p>\n
The unidentified speaker, his face obscured by a headscarf, instead called
\nNigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, who have been battling the Islamists,
\n“the lying coalition partners”.<\/p>\n
“Most of our territory is still under our control,” said the speaker in
\nthe 10-minute message which was posted on the video-sharing site YouTube.<\/p>\n
The video bears the logo “Islamic State in West Africa” and follows the
\nNigerian militants’ pledge of allegiance in an audio message in March to
\nthe IS group, that has overrun large parts of Syria and Iraq.<\/p>\n
– Shekau absent –<\/p>\n
The message is the first video released by Boko Haram since February, when
\nShekau was shown in high definition footage and vowed to disrupt Nigeria’s
\nelections.<\/p>\n
He has featured prominently in most of the group’s videos over the last
\nthree years and his absence in the latest message will likely stir further
\ndebate on his whereabouts or possible death.<\/p>\n
Nigeria’s military has previously claimed to have killed Shekau only for
\nhim then to pop up on another video. The authorities have explained such
\nappearances away by saying that the role of “Shekau” was filled by various
\nlookalike insurgents.<\/p>\n
Analysts have typically viewed Boko Haram as a factionalised group, with a
\nrelatively weak central command structure.<\/p>\n
It is possible that the movement towards the IS group in the Middle East
\nfollowed a split among the Nigerian militants and that Shekau — if he is
\nstill alive — has lost a degree of control.<\/p>\n
But solid information concerning power struggles within Boko Haram has
\nbeen scant to non-existent, so the current make-up of the group is largely
\nunknown.<\/p>\n
‘False propoganda’ –<\/p>\n
The speaker in the new message appears in front of two pick-up trucks,
\nwith four other gunmen visible in the background.<\/p>\n
He speaks in the Hausa language that is dominant in northern Nigeria with
\nArabic and English subtitles shown below.<\/p>\n
An AK-47 rifle rests on his chest as he seeks to rebuke the claims of
\nsuccesses made in recent weeks by the coalition.<\/p>\n
“The armies claim through the media that they captured our towns and that
\nthey assaulted Sambisa (forest) and defeated us,” he said, referring to
\nthe bushland area in Nigeria’s northeast Borno state that has been an
\nIslamist stronghold.<\/p>\n
“I swear by Allah that I am talking right now from Sambisa… Here in
\nSambisa you can travel more than four to five hours under the black flag
\nof Islam by car or by motorbike.”<\/p>\n
“We are uncountable in Sambisa. We are thousands of Mujahedeen here,” he
\nfurther said, dismissing claims of the insurgents’ defeat as “false
\npropaganda”.<\/p>\n
– Scenes of violence –<\/p>\n
The latter parts of the video include depictions of gruesome violence,
\nincluding executions of apparent civilians and one man in a Nigeria police
\nuniform, who are shot at close range.<\/p>\n
“President of Nigeria Jonathan” is mentioned, referring to Goodluck
\nJonathan, who handed over power to Muhammadu Buhari last Friday, two
\nmonths after the latter’s victory in elections on March 28.<\/p>\n
In his inaugural speech as president on Friday, Buhari described Boko
\nHaram as “mindless” and “godless” and vowed to demolish the group during
\nhis tenure.<\/p>\n
But the Islamists struck hours after Buhari was sworn in, launching a
\nseries of attacks since Saturday in Borno’s capital Maiduguri, deploying
\nsuicide bombers and fighting armed with rocket-propelled grenades.<\/p>\n
AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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