The Guardian Newspaper stated Sunday that Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), is considered propaganda for IS, whom are collecting affiliates around the world. Boko Haram's offer of an ideological alliance to Islamic State is a boost to its global profile, while for Boko Haram, IS' umbrella is a shelter for them. Boko Haram is offering ungoverned spaces of the Sahel, new recruits, weapons, finance, know-how, and intelligence to IS, The Guardian stated. For western governments, this scenario conjures up their worst nightmare – the prospect of joined-up, globalized jihad, the Guardian added. Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau stated that the new alliance is more of a cry for help, given a recent string of defeats sustained by Boko Haram from Nigeria's military and a nascent multinational force combining troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, according to the Guardian. On the other hand, officials suggested that Boko Haram, by aligning itself more closely with the Islamic State, was seeking to elevate its standing in the jihadi world, attract foreign fighters and possibly win financing from the militants. The announcement by the Boko Haram leadership that it had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, appeared to be legitimate, the New York Times reported. "By allying with ISIS, Boko Haram is seeking greater validation in the global jihadi community," said Laith Alkhouri, a senior analyst at Flashpoint Global Partners, a security consulting firm that tracks militant websites. With the backing of Western officials, African leaders have formed a unified army from the neighboring countries consisting of 8,700 soldiers to combat Boko Haram.
