How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people

The document analyzes Boko Haram's shift toward 'soft targets,' specifically displaced populations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. It details the rise in attacks on IDP and refugee camps, the use of female and child suicide bombers, and the infiltration of refugee flows by militants. The author argues that these tactics may serve strategic purposes, such as 'capacity swamping' to coerce governments, turning host communities against refugees, and increasing the group's international visibility.

• Boko Haram has shifted its tactical focus toward 'soft targets,' including women, children, and displaced people, particularly under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, whose faction is responsible for most attacks on displaced populations.
• There has been a documented increase in attacks targeting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees since 2015, with a significant majority of these attacks carried out by female suicide bombers who can access camps more easily.
• Boko Haram is increasingly using children as 'human bombs'; between January and August 2017, the number of children used in attacks was four times higher than in 2016, totaling 83 children, the majority of whom were girls.
• Militants are infiltrating refugee flows and camps by disguising themselves as refugees, which serves to make the group more elusive and turns victims into suspects, thereby increasing general insecurity.
• The targeting of displaced people may be a form of 'coercive migration' intended to overwhelm the capacity of governments to cope with migrant influxes, potentially strengthening Boko Haram's bargaining position.
• Attacks on displaced populations are argued to achieve three primary objectives: turning countries and communities against refugees, punishing those who fled the group's control, and boosting the group's international visibility to refute claims that it has been neutralised.

APA

Mbiyozo, A.-N. (2017). How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf

Chicago

Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël. How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mbiyozo |first1=Aimée-Noël |title=How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mbiyozo2017how, author = {Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël}, title = {{How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }