On 24th August a video surfaced featuring the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau boasting about his organization's exploits in northeast Nigeria. Shekau went on to state that the town of Gwoza, an area with a Christian population, is now under Boko Haram control and ruled by 'Islamic law.' The statement was surprising in that, until recently, Boko Haram has made little attempt to hold territory during the course of its five year struggle, and Shekau's words echoed the Islamic State's declaration of a caliphate under Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in late June. However, while Shekau's video likely falls short of the establishment of a caliphate in the ever expanding areas of northern Nigeria under the organization's sway, it does suggest a significant evolution in Boko Haram's strategy, with severe consequences for the Lake Chad region. Despite being widely reported, an analysis from the Long War Journal concluded that Shekau likely did not declare a caliphate, while other outlets have been careful to translate his statement on Gwoza as an area that is now 'Muslim territory' under Islamic law. Such interpretations fall in line with the fact that Shekau mentioned an Islamic state or law only twice during his 23-minute speech. Rather, [...]
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