ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development of Boko Haram’s geographic profile through analysis of conflict event data. Employing concepts from the geography of diffusion and contagion, the study distinguishes between violence escalation, relocation, containment and flashpoints. Analysis reveals that Boko Haram’s recent increasing geographic reach internationally during the period 2015 to 2016 represents a process of relocation, rather than escalation and expansion. In this way, Boko Haram’s territorial profile of violence parallels the evolution of other armed Islamist groups active in the region, which increased their territorial reach while reducing their presence in their original operation area.
