Insurgents fund their activities through stealing cows – making it more difficult to address organised crime and terrorism.

In Africa, transnational cattle rustling – the forceful theft of livestock for illicit commercial gain – is increasingly linked to organised criminal and terrorist groups. It is a source of illicit finance, a form of forced governance over local populations and a way to exert dominance. Stolen cattle are sold to fund the purchase of weapons and supplies and to recruit fighters.

Rustling has grown in both scale and violence. And when perpetrated across national boundaries by actors such as Boko Haram, it demonstrates the terror-crime nexus in the Lake Chad Basin.

A recent assessment carried out by ENACT and the Central African Police Chiefs Committee (CAPCCO) identified cattle rustling as a priority crime affecting the region.

This is supported by Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project information, which shows that incidents of cattle rustling by Boko Haram in Cameroon and Chad’s border regions rose from two in 2015 to 131 as of August 2024. There have been 390 incidents and 146 deaths in this time. This data relies on local groups and media reports, and many incidents may have gone unrecorded.

Lake Chad, the Logone and Chari rivers and surrounding areas play a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of cattle rustling in the region due to the availability of water and grazing pastures. These areas are natural magnets for pastoralist communities, especially during dry seasons when other regions face water scarcity.

Pastoralists often move their herds to these fertile valleys during transhumance (seasonal migration) to use the rich grazing lands.

This predictable movement and concentration of herders and cattle in a contained area increase the opportunities for cattle rustlers to plan and execute raids and target larger numbers of animals in a single raid. The basin’s marshy terrain and hard-to-patrol areas also provide a haven for criminal groups to operate.

Recent ENACT field research found that Boko Haram played a prominent role in cattle rustling activities in Chad and Cameroon’s common border areas due to the proximity of this area to the group’s base. Cattle rustling is one of its key revenue-generating activities and has become a crucial part of its overarching strategy for sustaining its operational capabilities.

An expert from Cameroon’s University of Maroua said: ‘Cattle rustling is a major source of funding for armed groups. If we say, for example, that a cow is worth 200 000 CFA, over a short period of time, a group that stole 25 000 head would have amassed 5-billion CFA.’

In regions where Boko Haram has established control or considerable influence, it employs cattle rustling as a means to exert dominance over local populations through interconnected strategies.

The first involves direct violent raids on communities, when cattle are stolen or both cattle and herders are abducted. The militants demand a ransom for the livestock’s return. This approach hits communities economically, compelling them to either submit to Boko Haram’s demands or pay protection fees to avert further attacks, said a former N’Djamena minister and provincial governor.

The second includes imposing an illegal livestock tax on pastoral communities. Butchers in Bongor, Chad, told ENACT: ‘Boko Haram has established a tax [system]. They say that each herder must pay such an amount [of money]. If the herders refuse to give them, they kill them and take the cattle. They give to another person to go and sell.’

A new dimension to Boko Haram’s modus operandi is called ‘cattle round tripping’. This cattle-rustling tactic capitalises on deficiencies in legal and market systems, so rustlers profit from stolen cattle through strategic and deceptive practices. Rustlers generally steal cattle from specific communities, often executing raids in areas with weak security, where pastoralism is the predominant livelihood.

To elude law enforcement, they transport the stolen cattle to distant locations, frequently crossing state borders where tracking by authorities is significantly hindered. A Cameroon military official said, ‘Sometimes they take those cattle and go into Nigeria to exchange them for other cattle so that they should not be known. And then they bring them back to the cattle market in Cameroon.’

The stolen cattle are predominantly taken to Nigeria as it’s the biggest cattle market in the region, said the former provincial governor. The rustlers sell the stolen cattle at local and regional markets or to unsuspecting buyers. These cattle are mixed with legally acquired livestock and sold at prevailing prices, frequently through informal trading networks.

‘Selling cattle to buy weapons and supplies and recruit fighters creates a symbiotic relationship between cattle rustling and insurgencies,’ a university expert told ENACT. Several opportunities exist in this tri-border region to address this complex organised criminal activity.

By improving existing security measures, the state, security forces, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and pastoralist communities can develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce cattle rustling and promote stability and economic security in the region.

Security forces and the MNJTF can work with local communities to develop early-warning systems that use traditional knowledge and modern technologies (such as cellphone alerts or community radio) to communicate cattle rustling or suspicious movements quickly.

Security forces can create specialised units in the police and military focused on cattle rustling. Armed with modern tracking technology, drones and satellite surveillance, these units can monitor cattle movements across borders and apprehend perpetrators in remote areas.

Pastoralist communities can organise legal, community-based vigilante groups that are officially recognised by the state. These groups should receive proper training in using kinetic military action and non-lethal methods to recover stolen cattle and prevent livestock theft. Adequate oversight mechanisms must ensure they operate within legal frameworks.

International development partners can supply advanced technology such as Global Positioning System tracking collars for cattle, drone surveillance and digital registration systems. These will aid security forces and communities in tracking cattle movements and preventing theft.

While an Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation-CAPCCO agreement could provide for cooperation in combatting cross-border crime and enhancing regional security, the Mifugo Protocol specifically addresses regional collaboration in addressing cattle rustling and livestock theft across borders.

These frameworks offer authorities in the affected countries a strategy for effectively confronting shared challenges while advancing peace, security and development.

Written by Oluwole Ojewale ENACT Central Africa Organised Crime Observatory Coordinator, ISS and Raoul Sumo Tayo Senior Researcher, ENACT Central Africa Organised Crime Observatory, ISS