Negotiating with Boko Haram? Examining the Jihadist Exception

Scholars have become increasingly pessimistic about Nigeria's achieving military victory against Boko Haram. The group's ten years of incessant combat, increasing military capabilities, and continuing alliance with the Islamic State are among the reasons why scholars hold this view. If Nigerian military victory is unlikely, then the question arises about whether negotiations present a solution. However, we are also pessimistic about negotiations because Boko Haram is, and has always been, a jihadist group, which by definition means it does not negotiate peace; Islamists, in contrast, negotiate. Nevertheless, this article acknowledges Boko Haram does engage in "single-issue" or transactional negotiations. Although single-issue negotiations are far different than "process" negotiations that can lead to peace, the former type of negotiation represents the only way forward to diplomatically engage Boko Haram for the foreseeable future.