Boko Haram And The Lord's Resistance Army Terrorizing People In Africa

Who is Boko Haram? Boko Haram is a progressive Islamic sect. The violent Nigerian Movement, led by Abubakar Shekau, is estimated to have fighters in the numbers of hundreds to low thousands (Blanchard 143-147). More importantly than who Boko Haram is, who is affected by this dangerous extremist group? “More than 4,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram-related violence. U.N. and Nigerian officials report that more than six million Nigerians have been affected and more than 300,000 have been displaced” (Blanchard 147). The LRA is similar, but also has some differences. The Lord’s Resistance Army is a rebel group fighting the Ugandan government (Otto 1). Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, has been kidnapping children and …show more content…
Boko Haram formed in the early 2000s. They were a small Islamic sect (Blanchard 145). The Lord’s Resistance Army has been around much longer. The group of rebels has been fighting the government of Uganda since the 1980s (Otto 1). Why are Boko Haram and the Lord’s Resistance Army terrorizing people in Africa? There are a couple of different reasons. Boko Haram seeks to implement the Islamic law (Blanchard 145). The Lord’s Resistance Army is interested in power. Kony believes he is a reincarnation of Jesus. He wants people to respect him. Kony and the LRA would like to conquer. They are both fighting for what they believe in, but the beliefs of the two groups are very different. Weapons are what make the LRA and Boko Haram so powerful. So where do those weapons come from? “The group has built ties with transnational extremist groups in the region, which have reportedly provided training and increasingly sophisticated weaponry” (Blanchard 146-147). Boko Haram has also stolen weapons and ammunition from police (Uzodike, Whetho, Maiangwa, Onapajo 46). These two groups don’t need just guns to takes over. The Lord’s Resistance Army will kidnap children and add them to their