Boko Haram Leader Replaced

On Tuesday, August 3rd, the new leader of Islamic State’s West Africa Province, formerly known as Boko Haram, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, vowed to end the group’s attacks on mosques and markets used by ordinary Muslims in favor of bombing churches and killing Christians.

The new leader’s statement was released in an interview by the Dabiq magazine sponsored by Islamic State, which Boko Haram declared allegiance to in March of 2015. In addition to al-Barnawi’s pledge to only target Christian groups, the leader blamed the Western plot to Christianize northern Nigeria and accused charities of using their aid for that particular purpose.

An audiotape allegedly released by former face of the group, Abubakr Shekau,  expressed outcry over his replacement in a 10-minute audio message released following the appointment of al-Barnawi. The message appears disordered and lacking a clear point, but Shekau does illustrate frustration with Islamic State for not responding to his written letters which outlined his ideological goals and plans for the group.

According to the message, which was confirmed as Shekau’s voice by German security officials, Boko Haram is still faithful to the caliphate declared by Islamic State; however, Shekau feels that other members of the Nigerian-based terror group might have played a role in his replacement, claiming they may have “manipulated his work in order to achieve their own selfish interests.”

In the entirety of his message, Shekau did not name al-Barnawi or any other individuals related to Boko Haram or Islamic State.

Prior to his replacement, Shekau was implemental in leading the Boko Haram’s war against Nigeria in the Lake Chad region. Shekau apprenticed and was heir to the group’s founding member, Mohammed Yusef, and helped shape the face of the terrorist group since Yusef’s death in 2009.

Since August of 2015, security officials had not heard of or seen Shakau, and many thought that Shekau had died due to an abdominal injury, leaving his chair empty, and the reins of Boko Haram un-commanded. Yet, the audio message delivered on Tuesday could prove he is in fact alive.

Despite this piece of evidence, Islamic State has appointed al-Barnawi to lead the jihadist group in Shekau’s stead.

Prior to this duty, al-Barnawi had taken up a role as Boko Haram’s key spokesperson in January of 2015.

Though the message supposedly released by Shekau is critical of his apparent replacement, it is not particularly surprising. Shekau had reportedly been known to hoard food and ammunition for himself and his immediate force while also driving away IS military advisers. These actions would explain Shekau’s replacement by Islamic Statein favor of al-Barnawi.

Though Shekau’s outcry is telling of tensions between IS authorities over Boko Haram, the former leader ultimately appears to still adhere to the caliph’s decisions regarding his role as regional leader, and if so, the matter is unlikely to cause major rifts moving forward.