A bill to require a regional strategy to address the threat posed by Boko Haram.

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on September 22, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

(Sec. 1) This bill requires:

• the Department of State and the Department of Defense to develop jointly and submit to Congress a five-year strategy to help Nigeria, members of the Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko Haram, and relevant partners to counter Boko Haram, and to assist Nigeria and its neighbors to address legitimate grievances of vulnerable populations in areas affected by Boko Haram; and
• the Director of National Intelligence to assess the willingness and capability Nigeria and regional partners to implement such strategy.

Such strategy must address the following elements:

• enhancing the institutional capacity, including military capabilities, of Nigeria and partner nations in the region to counter Boko Haram;
• providing humanitarian support to civilian populations impacted by Boko Haram;
• improving the capacity of Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko Haram partner nations to investigate and prosecute human rights abuses by security forces and promote respect for the rule of law within the military;
• assisting Nigeria and Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko Haram nations to counter violent extremism;
• strengthening the rule of law and Nigeria's capacity to enhance school security; and
• identifying the resources required to achieve such objectives.

It is the sense of Congress that lack of economic opportunity and access to education, justice, and other social services contributes to Boko Haram's ability to radicalize and recruit individuals.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov