Nigeria: Nigerian Govt and Boko Haram Strike Secret Ceasefire Deal

What the report says

Nigeria’s federal government has reportedly entered a secret ceasefire arrangement with Boko Haram, according to reporting published by The New Humanitarian and carried by AllAfrica. The deal is said to have been in effect for about three months and may be extended, although officials had not publicly confirmed it at the time of publication. The reported truce is linked to hostage negotiations that led to the release in June of 360 civilians abducted from Ngoshe village near the Cameroon border, following an attack on a nearby army base in March.

Sources with contacts among Boko Haram members told the outlet that attacks in the Ngoshe area have stopped since June. The article says the broader arrangement may also have involved a payment, though that claim remains disputed: Abuja has denied the reported ransom-related allegations, and the government, military and defence headquarters did not respond to requests for comment before publication.

The reported ceasefire does not include Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a rival jihadist faction active in the Lake Chad area and parts of Borno State. The story places the development in the context of Nigeria’s long-running northeastern insurgency, which began in 2009 and has killed and displaced large numbers of civilians. It also notes a continuing split between the government’s public rejection of talks and behind-the-scenes contact efforts led by security agencies. Analysts quoted in the report cautioned that any truce could be temporary and may not amount to a lasting peace process.