Briefing Paper

Winning the War, and not just the Battle: Masterplan for Ending the Boko Haram Insurgency in the North East

This Briefing note recommends a multi-sectoral approach to ending the Boko Haram insurgency and
recognises the several issues driving the insurgency. While amnesty and peace negotiations remain
divisive and controversial issues in relation to resolving the Boko Haram conflict, these are not matters that the Nigerian government can wish away. A reconstruction of the North East, the inclusion of gender in any peace process, improved legal framework and accountability mechanisms are necessary as part of a holistic approach to end the insurgency. With Nigeria’s ascendancy to the United Nations Security Council Presidency in August 2015, expectations are that the government will use its current political capital to take decisive actions on ending the Boko Haram insurgency and its attendant consequences on the country’s economy and national security. The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) proposes this master plan as a contribution to the on-going dialogue on the best way to deal with the Boko Haram conflict.