Reconstructing the Great Caliphate [Kanem-Bornu Empire]: Religious War or Mere Scramble for Resources? The Appropriate Response of Religious Institutions, Civil Societies, and States

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in the early 2000s with the openly declared intention of rebuilding the historically renowned Muslim Kanem-Bornu kingdom, which covered northern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, parts of Niger, Chad, and Libya for centuries, has caused widespread death and suffering. This paper questions the authenticity and feasibility of such a project in the context of the region’s current religious landscape and discusses how religious institutions, civil societies, and states should respond.