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CBAGS SERIES FACT SHEET: Journeys Through Extremism: The Experiences of Forced Recruits in Boko Haram

Abstract

This fact sheet provides a snapshot of conclusions from exploratory research with forced recruits into Boko Haram, the first of a set of case studies on disengagement from violent extremist organizations (VEOs) conducted as part of the RESOLVE Network’s Community-Based Armed Groups (CBAGs) Research Initiative. The research report focuses on how forced recruits entered the organization, the conditions they experienced in camps and settlements, their exits from the group, their subsequent experiences in state hands, and their perspectives about future reintegration. The research was undertaken at Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), which was established in 2016 by the Nigerian state to provide an off-ramp for members of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) deemed to be ‘low risk’ by military intelligence. To learn more about the research methodology and detailed findings, please refer to the RESOLVE Research Report by James Khalil, MaryAnne Iwara, and Martine Zeuthen: Journeys Through Extremism: The Experiences of Forced Recruits in Boko Haram (2022).