More than a decade of violent conflict involving Boko Haram and its splinter factions has deeply affected communities across the Lake Chad Basin, particularly in north-east Nigeria and the far north of Cameroon. Since 2016, particularly after 2021, tens of thousands of individuals – including fighters, abductees, family members and civilians living under armed group control – have exited Boko Haram and returned to civilian society. These exits have reshaped the conflict landscape and placed significant strain on communities, institutions and policy responses tasked with managing return, reintegration, reconciliation and the prevention of recurrence.
Policy and practice responses have evolved over time, both across and within the four countries of the Lake Chad region. Responses have struggled to keep pace with the mass exits and meet the needs on the ground. Research led by Daniel Agbiboa through the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) programme and by UNIDIR’s Managing Exits from Armed Conflict (MEAC) Project shows that exits from armed groups are not a single event but a long and complex process shaped by insecurity, trust, stigma, livelihoods, gender norms and local authority structures.
Sustainable transitions out of armed groups in the region will require approaches grounded in local realities and lived experiences, while drawing on global lessons learned and foregrounding the voices of those directly affected.
This workshop aims to bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers and community‑focused actors to reflect on what current evidence tells us about conflict exits and the contours of reintegration in the Lake Chad Basin. It will also explore how responses can be strengthened to improve security and development outcomes for affected populations.
Agenda
10:30–11:45 CEST | Afterlives: Conflict exits and reintegration in the Lake Chad Basin
This session explores how people leave armed groups and what enables them to stay out. It will examine why individuals disengage, what support prevents their return, and where current exit pathways fall short. Drawing on XCEPT and MEAC research, it will look at how communities negotiate and accept returnees, and how responses can better reflect lived realities to support more sustainable transitions out of violence.
Speakers
- Daniel Agbiboa, Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University
- Saibou Issa, Professor of History and Security Studies, University of Maroua, Cameroon, and Co-Director of the Observatory on Organized Crime and Violence in Central Africa
- Siobhan O’Neil, Head of the MEAC Project, UNIDIR
12:15–13:30 CEST | Gendering exit: Barriers faced by women and girls returning to civilian life
This session explores the distinct, often overlooked challenges faced by women and girls exiting Boko Haram and reintegrating into civilian life, including barriers to leaving forced marriages, limited access to tailored reintegration support and ongoing stigma and insecurity. It highlights how these gendered obstacles affect their ability to rebuild their lives and identifies practical, context-sensitive responses to strengthen protection, agency and reintegration outcomes across the Lake Chad Basin.
Speakers
- Francesca Batault, Associate Researcher, MEAC Project, UNIDIR
- Fatima Yetcha Ajimi Badu, Senior Researcher, Mobukar Consultancy Services
When and where
Wednesday, 17 June 2026 | 10:30–13:30 CEST | Online
Check your local time here.
Participants
The event is open to the public.
RSVP
For participation, please register here.
Further information
For any questions, please contact Francesca Batault at francesca.batault@un.org.
In partnership with
