International Business Times quotes Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham on the goals of the new, graphically violent Boko Haram video: 

The video is intended to signal that Boko Haram still has strength, according to Peter Pham, Directoy of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. “As underscored by the string of attacks around Maiduguri and other northeastern towns over the weekend and continuing into this week, it is clear that Boko Haram is far from a spent force. Although there is no indication of when the footage in the video was shot, the timing of the release reinforces this message of an organization that remains a force to be reckoned with,” he said. “President Buhari has a significant challenge ahead of him as the group continues to evolve and adapt, demonstrating again the resilience that has always characterized it – all the more reason he needs international support.”

Read the full article here.

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