A fresh wave of violent clashes has erupted between Boko Haram, and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), two weeks after a failed reconciliation attempt. The fighting took place in Abadam Local Government Area, Borno State, a region known for its history of violent confrontations between the two militant groups.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency expert in the North-East, the most recent battle occurred on Friday, February 14, 2025, near ISWAP camps in the villages of Toumbun Gini and Toumbun Ali, located in the Lake Chad Basin. Makama reported that ISWAP suffered significant casualties in the clash, which took place on water.
He also warned that the violence could spread to Kukawa Local Government Area, where Boko Haram fighters have continued their operations against ISWAP.
The ongoing rivalry between Boko Haram and ISWAP dates back to 2016, when ISWAP split from Boko Haram and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The split was driven by deep ideological differences, particularly surrounding the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, the former leader of Boko Haram, who had previously sworn allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
However, some senior members of Boko Haram, including Habib Yusuf, the son of the group’s founder Mohammed Yusuf, broke away from Shekau’s leadership, leading to the formation of ISWAP.
Since the split, both groups have engaged in violent confrontations, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin region.