Boko Haram faction demonstrates parallels with Cold War-era revolutionary insurgents

Different ‘Boko Haram’ factions display contrasting militant strategies to achieve their goals. While the original faction Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad (JASDJ) is one of the world’s most violent militant movements towards civilians, a breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province, mixes extreme violence with efforts to win over local Muslim populations. This approach demonstrates surprising parallels with Cold War-era communist models of revolutionary warfare.