ISIS has been actively committing atrocities in the Middle East since its inception in 2014. It’s declared purpose is to create a caliphate, meaning an Islamic state, recognizing no borders and expanding as much as possible. ISIS recognizes no authority other than its own and all who do not convert are its sworn enemies. It’s not a particularly new story in the ongoing tale of violence in the Middle East, in fact it’s not the first fundamentalist Islamic terror group following this ideology, nor the most violent. In Western Africa, specifically Nigeria and the surrounding states, a terrorist group has taken hold over the course of several years that if left alone will be one of the greatest threats to the United States.

According to the CIA World Factbook, Nigeria is roughly double the size of California with 250 ethnic groups recognized by the state. It is an unstable democracy, prone to violence and frequent military dictatorships. Even so, it sits on a wealth of oil power and economic security no other African state can compare to. Even though it is the wealthiest state in Western Africa, the wealth has not translated into economic development or higher standards of living. Nigeria is a rentier state, which is a political science term for a country that gains most of its wealth by selling its resources. Nigeria’s wealth rests solely in its food and oil exports which are primarily owned by foreign corporations. Most of the general population is well below the poverty line. Couple poverty with tension between 250 diverse ethnic groups and the slightest shift can ignite violence.

Jama atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda a Waati Wal Jihad, more commonly referred to as Boko Haram originated in Northern Nigeria. Boko Haram roughly translates to “Western knowledge is forbidden” and in every act, Boko Haram attempts to eradicate anything they deem as secularism, or lacking religion. Boko Haram originally formed in 2002 but was not violent until the death of their leader Mohammad Yusuf in 2009 at the hands of Nigerian security forces. Afterwards, a more radical cleric named Abubakar Shekau seized control of Boko Haram. Since then, Amnesty International has confirmed approximately 46,377 civilian deaths at the hands of Boko Haram extremists. Casualty statistics are difficult to confirm in part because of the clandestine nature of terrorism and the extreme length Boko Haram goes to hide its atrocities. The real casualty rate caused by Boko Haram is likely to be much higher, especially when considering the losses to security forces in the region.

Even though the Global Terrorism Index named Boko Haram the deadliest terror group in the world, most US based news agencies continue to overlook the threat. In fact, until Boko Haram announced it would ally with ISIS it hardly got any media coverage at all. The US government appears to have been concerned about Boko Haram and other terror networks in Africa for some time. Boko Haram formed in 2002, in 2006 the US created a yearly event called Operation Flintlock to train Western African soldiers in counter terrorism. According to the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM for short, in 2015 over twenty countries participated totaling 1000 soldiers. The US is also considering sending a few dozen military advisors to aid in the fight against Boko Haram according to the Pentagon. One of the largest problems with getting involved is that in Africa, sometimes the state military is as problematic as the terrorists. The regional security force responsible for rooting out the terrorists has been accused of serious human rights violations. Clearly US and Nigerian efforts haven’t been enough in the past and while ISIS rapidly gains strength, Boko Haram slowly builds.