Nigeria, Boko Haram reportedly reach secret three-month ceasefire

The reported truce follows the release of 360 villagers abducted during a Boko Haram attack in northeastern Nigeria.

The Nigerian military has stepped up operations against armed groups in the northeast, while the government has publicly rejected negotiations with Boko Haram [File: Ahmed Kingimi/Reuters]

The Nigerian government has been involved in a secret ceasefire with Boko Haram for the past three months, according to an investigation by The New Humanitarian, in a development that could mark a rare pause in years of fighting in northeastern Nigeria.

The reported truce began in June after negotiations that secured the release of 360 civilians abducted from Ngoshe village, in the foothills of the Mandara Mountains near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, The New Humanitarian reported.

Three people with contacts among Boko Haram members, including some senior figures, independently told the organisation that the ceasefire had been in effect since June and was likely to be extended for another 40 days.

Two of the sources said attacks had stopped in communities around Ngoshe, which have repeatedly been targeted by the armed group.

Truce followed mass abduction

The 360 villagers were abducted in March during a Boko Haram attack on a nearby army base, according to The New Humanitarian.

The negotiations that led to their release reportedly included a payment of five billion naira ($3.7m) by the Nigerian government.

The alleged payment has become controversial in Nigeria, with the government denying that it paid a ransom.

The New Humanitarian said it contacted government, defence and army spokespeople to verify the reported ceasefire but received no response before publication.

Al Jazeera has not been able to independently verify the reported ceasefire or the alleged payment.

The reported agreement does not include Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a rival armed group that operates in northeastern Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region.

Fighting between Boko Haram and ISWAP has continued, according to The New Humanitarian.

Government publicly rejects talks

The reported ceasefire comes despite the Nigerian government’s public rejection of negotiations with Boko Haram, which is designated as a “terrorist organisation” by the Nigerian authorities.

President Bola Tinubu has instead focused on expanding the military’s capacity to fight armed groups. In July, he announced plans to recruit 30,000 additional personnel and create four new army divisions.

Behind the scenes, however, there have been repeated attempts to establish dialogue with Boko Haram, according to The New Humanitarian, citing security officials, diplomats and mediators familiar with previous efforts.

Those efforts have included ceasefire arrangements that eventually collapsed.

Conflict researcher Malik Samuel told The New Humanitarian that the latest reported agreement should not necessarily be interpreted as the beginning of a lasting peace process.

“It could be just a temporary, tactical ceasefire that benefits both sides, but doesn’t really affect the trajectory of the war,” Samuel said.

The current arrangement could also allow Boko Haram to strengthen its position, with two sources warning that the group could use the pause to move equipment into the Mandara Mountains, The New Humanitarian reported.

Boko Haram has carried out attacks and kidnappings in northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring countries around the Lake Chad region since 2009. The group has since fractured into several factions, while ISWAP operates as a separate and rival armed group.

据报道，此次停火是在尼日利亚东北部博科圣地袭击事件中被绑架的 360 名村民获释之后达成的。

尼日利亚军方加大了对东北部武装团体的打击力度，而政府则公开拒绝与博科圣地进行谈判。[图片：艾哈迈德·金吉米/路透社]

据《新人道主义》杂志的调查显示，尼日利亚政府在过去三个月里一直与博科圣地秘密停火，这一进展可能标志着尼日利亚东北部多年战乱罕见地出现停火。

据《新人道主义》报道，据称停火始于6月，此前经过谈判，360名从尼日利亚与喀麦隆边境附近的曼达拉山脉山麓的恩戈舍村被绑架的平民获释。

三位与博科圣地成员有联系的人士，其中包括一些高级成员，分别向该组织透露，停火协议自 6 月以来一直有效，并且可能会再延长 40 天。

两名消息人士称，在恩戈舍周边社区，袭击已经停止，这些社区曾多次成为该武装组织的袭击目标。

大规模绑架事件后达成了停战协议。

据《新人道主义》报道，3月份博科圣地袭击附近一个陆军基地时，360名村民被绑架。

据报道，促成他们获释的谈判包括尼日利亚政府支付 50 亿奈拉（370 万美元）。

这笔所谓的赎金支付在尼日利亚引发了争议，尼日利亚政府否认支付过赎金。

《新人道主义》杂志称，他们联系了政府、国防部和军队发言人，以核实有关停火的报道，但在发表文章前没有收到任何回复。

半岛电视台尚未能独立核实有关停火或付款的报道。

据报道，该协议不包括伊斯兰国西非省（ISWAP），这是一个在尼日利亚东北部和更广泛的乍得湖地区活动的敌对武装组织。

据《新人道主义》报道，博科圣地和伊斯兰国西非省之间的战斗仍在继续。

政府公开拒绝谈判。

据报道，尽管尼日利亚政府公开拒绝与博科圣地进行谈判（博科圣地已被尼日利亚当局认定为“恐怖组织”），但停火协议仍然达成。

相反，博拉·蒂努布总统将重点放在提升军队打击武装团体的能力上。今年7月，他宣布计划增招3万名士兵，并组建四个新的陆军师。

但据《新人道主义》报道，幕后曾多次尝试与博科圣地建立对话，该报道援引了熟悉先前努力的安全官员、外交官和调解员的话。

这些努力包括最终破裂的停火协议。

冲突研究员马利克·塞缪尔告诉《新人道主义》杂志，最新报道的协议并不一定意味着持久和平进程的开始。

“这可能只是对双方都有利的暂时性战术停火，但并不会真正影响战争的走向，”塞缪尔说。

据《新人道主义》报道，目前的安排也可能让博科圣地巩固其地位，两名消息人士警告称，该组织可能会利用这段停顿时间将设备运入曼达拉山脉。

自 2009 年以来，博科圣地在尼日利亚东北部和乍得湖周边邻国发动袭击和绑架。该组织此后分裂成多个派系，而伊斯兰国西非省则作为一个独立的敌对武装组织运作。