The leader of
the jihadist group Boko Haram has reacted to the election of Donald
Trump to the White House with a warning that “the war has just begun”
against the West.
“Do not be overwhelmed by people like
Donald Trump and the global coalition fighting our brethren in Iraq,
Syria, Afghanistan and everywhere,” Abubakar Shekau said in an audio
message posted on YouTube late Sunday, November 13, 2016.
“We remain steadfast on our faith and we will not stop,” he said in the hour-long message. “To us, the war has just begun.”
Boko Haram is waging a seven-year-old
uprising against the Nigerian state that has claimed more than 20,000
lives, with the insurgency spilling over the West African nation’s
borders into neighbouring states.
Boko Haram, which last year pledged
allegiance to the Islamic State group, has been in the grip of a power
struggle since late last year.
The IS high command said in August that
Shekau had been replaced as leader by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the
22-year-old son of Boko Haram’s founder Mohammed Yusuf.
Shekau claims he is still in charge, however, as rival factions vie for control.
During a visit to Nigeria in August, US
Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated the government for
reclaiming swathes of territory and releasing thousands of hostages from
Boko Haram, while warning against the use of excessive force to fight
extremists.
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