Managing the journey out of violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin

This report examines the processes and challenges of disengagement for ex-Boko Haram associates in the Lake Chad Basin, analyzing the motivations for leaving the group and the varying national approaches to rehabilitation and reintegration in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.

• Individuals disengage from violent extremist groups in the Lake Chad Basin due to a combination of personal circumstances, available opportunities, and expectations. Key drivers include disillusionment with the group's internal conditions, a misalignment between the group's objectives and the individuals' personal future plans, and a perceived contradiction between the group's religious messaging and its cruel practices.
• The split within Boko Haram has contributed to disengagement by creating internal instability, factional fighting, and a general sense of insecurity and uncertainty for its members.
• State-led sensitisation efforts, including amnesty offers and the distribution of leaflets via aircraft, have been instrumental in encouraging members to surrender.
• Accurate statistics on the number of ex-Boko Haram associates are difficult to obtain due to inconsistent categorisation and the tendency of individuals to return directly to communities to avoid official screening.
• Reintegration outcomes differ by gender, as women and children are often not given equal priority in processing and rehabilitation, and their specific roles within Boko Haram are not comprehensively addressed.
• Current Disarmament, Demobilisation, Repatriation, Reintegration and Resettlement (DDRRR) initiatives are primarily national in focus and fail to address the regional nature of the crisis, necessitating a more holistic, cooperative approach.
• Host communities play a critical role as first points of contact for deserters and are essential for successful reintegration, yet they are often under-involved in the design of DDR processes and face their own resilience challenges.
• Ex-associates face significant post-reintegration challenges, including severe social stigmatisation, loss of means of production, and a lack of economic prospects, which can lead some to consider returning to the extremist group.
• While the four Lake Chad Basin countries have issued calls for surrender, none have adopted formal amnesty laws, leading to a reliance on tacit clemency or the use of standard anti-terrorism laws.

APA

Akum, F., Hoinathy, R., & Samuel, M. (2021). Managing the journey out of violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-32-1.pdf

Chicago

Akum, Fonteh, Remadji Hoinathy, and Malik Samuel. Managing the journey out of violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin. Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-32-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Akum |first1=Fonteh |last2=Hoinathy |first2=Remadji |last3=Samuel |first3=Malik |title=Managing the journey out of violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-32-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{akum2021managing, author = {Akum, Fonteh and Hoinathy, Remadji and Samuel, Malik}, title = {{Managing the journey out of violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-32-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }