Waza Region Boko Haram Bus Attack (2015)
The Waza Region Boko Haram Bus Attack occurred on January 2, 2015, when militants from the radical Islamist group Boko Haram targeted a passenger bus in the Waza region of Cameroon, resulting in the deaths of at least eleven people and injuring several others. This incident was part of a larger wave of violence attributed to Boko Haram as they expanded their operations beyond Nigeria and into neighboring Cameroon, particularly near the border area. The attack exemplified the group's shift towards targeting civilians, marking a significant escalation in their campaign of terror.
In the days following the bus attack, Boko Haram escalated their offensive by attacking the town of Baga in Nigeria, where they reportedly killed between one hundred and two thousand individuals and caused widespread destruction. In response to the growing threat, a coalition of military forces from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger was formed to combat Boko Haram's insurgency, which had gained notoriety for its brutal tactics and significant civilian casualties.
By late 2015, Boko Haram was recognized as one of the deadliest terrorist organizations in the world, prompting international support, including the deployment of U.S. troops and resources to assist Cameroonian forces. The ongoing conflict has highlighted the complex humanitarian crisis faced by civilians in the affected regions, underscoring the challenges of political and military responses to extremist violence.
Subject Terms
Waza Region Boko Haram Bus Attack (2015)
In January 2015, radical Islamist group Boko Haram attacked a passenger bus traveling through the Waza region of Cameroon, killing at least eleven passengers and wounding several others. The incident was one of a number of Boko Haram terrorist attacks occurring near the northern border of Cameroon and Nigeria in 2015.
Date: Boko Haram militants opened fire on a commuter bus full of passengers in the Waza region of Cameroon on January 2, 2015.
Place: Waza region, Cameroon
Key Events
- January 2, 2015-Boko Haram militants attack a passenger bus in the Waza region near the border of Cameroon and Nigeria. Militants kill eleven passengers and wound approximately six others.
- January 3-5, 2015-Boko Haram militants take over the town of Baga and the local military base, killing between one hundred and two thousand civilians and soldiers and destroying thousands of homes and businesses.
- February 4, 2015-Coalition from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger begins a new wave of military operations aimed at attacking Boko Haram camps.
- October 2015-After Boko Haram attacks intensify in Cameroon, US pledges three hundred troops, equipment, and Predator drones to help the Cameroonian government end the insurgency.
Status
As of November 2015, Boko Haram had become one of the world's deadliest terrorist groups, killing thousands in Nigeria and Cameroon. On October 14, 2015, following earlier indications that the group had aligned itself with the Middle Eastern terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), President Barack Obama authorized the US military to dispatch three hundred troops and equipment to help the Cameroonian soldiers combat Boko Haram.
In-Depth Overview
Boko Haram is a radical Islamist group founded in Nigeria in 2002 that advocates for the establishment of an independent Muslim state in the country. In the beginning, Boko Haram was focused primarily on the Nigerian educational system, attempting to promote the teaching of traditional Islamic curriculum instead of the allegedly "Westernized" curriculum typically taught in schools. The group became radicalized in 2009 after a series of conflicts had erupted between Christians and Muslims in addition to alleged incidents of police brutality. Since then, the group, led by Abubakar Shekau, began attacking Nigerian police and military targets as well as civilians.
In May 2013, the Nigerian government formed the first of several military and police task forces to combat the issue, drawing military support from Niger and Chad. Boko Haram was able to capture large portions of rural Nigeria, and the Nigerian military was only successful in keeping control of the central cities. Boko Haram came to international attention in April 2014, when the organization invaded a boarding school in Chibok and kidnapped at least two hundred girls from the school, initiating an international campaign to secure the girls' return.
That same year, the violence began spilling from northern Nigeria into neighboring Cameroon as Boko Haram militants took control of territories near the border. In May 2014, Boko Haram soldiers were suspected of kidnapping ten Chinese construction workers near the Waza region, internationally known for its wildlife preserve. After the incident, Cameroonian president Paul Biya officially declared war on Boko Haram and dispatched more than one thousand soldiers to the north to combat Boko Haram militants.
Late in the day on January 2, 2015, Boko Haram militants attacked a passenger bus traveling in the Waza region in Cameroon. An unknown number of armed militants fired at the bus, killing eleven passengers and wounding six others. This incident became one of many in which the group had intentionally attacked civilians since its radicalization.
The following day, Boko Haram attacked the town of Baga in northeastern Nigeria, where the militants took over a local military base and killed between one hundred and two thousand locals, driving thousands of others out of the town and into hiding in neighboring countries or the forests surrounding Baga. In response to the January Boko Haram attacks, the Nigerian government formed a new coalition with Chad, Niger, and Cameroon and began conducting an aggressive series of campaigns against Boko Haram-controlled territories. While the media published coalition claims of having defeated Boko Haram in the subsequent months, a series of further attacks and a string of suicide bombings in Cameroon indicated that Boko Haram was still active in the region.
Key Figures
Paul Biya: President of Cameroon who declared war on Boko Haram after the organization began targeting Cameroonian communities and citizens.
Abubakar Shekau: Second leader of Boko Haram, allegedly still in charge of the organization in October 2015, though some reports indicate that the individual pledging to be Shekau may not be the original Shekau.
Bibliography
Abubakhar, A., & Berlinger, J. (2015, January 2). Boko Haram attack on bus in Cameroon kills at least 11. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/02/world/africa/cameroon-boko-haram-attack/
Buchanan, R. T. (2015, November 17). Boko Haram overtakes ISIS as world's deadliest terror organization. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-overtakes-isis-as-worlds-deadliest-terror-organisation-a6737761.html
Cooper, H. (2015, October 14). To aid Boko Haram fight, Obama orders 300 troops to Cameroon. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/15/world/africa/obama-orders-300-troops-to-cameroon-to-support-fight-against-boko-haram.html?%5Fr=0
Fessy, T. (2015, February 2). Boko Haram attack: What happened in Baga? BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30987043
Hare, J. (2015, March 14). How northern Nigeria's violent history explains Boko Haram. National Geographic. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150314-boko-haram-nigeria-borno-rabih-abubakar-shekau/