Dialogue with violent extremist groups

The document assesses the feasibility of dialogue between governments and violent extremist groups in the Lake Chad Basin based on a survey of 31 civil society organization representatives. While many respondents support exploring dialogue due to the failure of purely militarized responses, significant barriers exist, including deep mistrust, unclear extremist motivations, and ideological conflicts regarding the implementation of Sharia law. The brief recommends that governments conduct further research into actor motivations and initiate nationwide discussions to secure community buy-in.

• Civil society perspectives on the effectiveness of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) are deeply divided, with an almost equal split between those who believe the Force can secure peace and those who doubt its ability to do so.
• There is significant disagreement regarding the severity of the military response; just over half of the participants believe the MNJTF's approach is too severe, with one respondent suggesting this has actually aided in recruiting more fighters for Boko Haram.
• A majority of civil society representatives believe that alternative approaches like dialogue are now required because the securitised approach has failed to eradicate Boko Haram and ISWAP or reduce their physical capabilities.
• Despite support for the idea of dialogue, many respondents are skeptical of its likely success due to a profound lack of trust in the integrity of groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP, fearing they would not adhere to any final agreement.
• Ideological and religious differences present a critical barrier to dialogue, specifically the conflict between the extremists' demand for an Islamic state and the commitment of Lake Chad Basin countries to secular lifestyles and human rights.
• Some community members perceive government engagement in dialogue as a sign of weakness or capitulation, viewing it as a victory for terrorist groups rather than a strategic resolution.

APA

Mahdi, M. (2020). Dialogue with violent extremist groups. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-137.pdf

Chicago

Mahdi, Maram. Dialogue with violent extremist groups. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-137.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mahdi |first1=Maram |title=Dialogue with violent extremist groups |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-137.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mahdi2020dialogue, author = {Mahdi, Maram}, title = {{Dialogue with violent extremist groups}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-137.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }