system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Is there a common origin of the Islamist insurgencies of North Africa?

Mali, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and Somalia have all recently had significant internal conflict related to Islamic movements in the north. Is there any commonality in these struggles?

Do all the 'Islamist' conflicts of the world derive from a single movement? Or is Islamism just a label for all the violent movements seeking religious government?
gpt
Yes and no. Every group of Islamic extremists in the Maghreb/Sahel is unique and has different beliefs, goals, methods, etc. That being said, a lot of them are, in a sense, "offspring" of either each other or Arab organizations. Al Qaeda is perhaps the biggest common ancestor of African militant groups, and some, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria, are still considered close Al Qaeda affiliates.