"Ansaru's new salience represents another, serious challenge to Nigeria's stability," writes John Campbell.

France says it will withdraw from Mali once an African peacekeeping force is in place. To keep Islamists at bay, the United States is considering increasing its military presence in the region. A better approach is to focus on fixing the governance issues that fuel radicalism to begin with, says John Campbell.

The radical Islamist group Boko Haram has contributed to widespread and deadly violence in Nigeria, but the government sercurity services are also at fault, write CFR's John Campbell and Asch Harwood.

Nigeria's upcoming presidential elections will upset the country's power sharing system. CFR's Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies cautions that campaign appeals to ethnicity and religion coupled with elections that lack credibility may destabilize the country.

CFR's John Campbell says deteriorating economic and social conditions in Northern Nigeria are behind the recurring upsurge in Boko Haram's activity. Campbell cautions that the circumstances enabling Boko Haram to operate may be taken advantage of by Al Qaeda or other international terrorist groups, though that has not happened yet.

CFR's Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies John Campbell discusses the importance of Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta to U.S. interests and highlights the need for a political solution.