This document provides an overview of terrorism and violent extremism in Africa. It discusses the major terrorist groups operating in Africa, including Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. It also examines the motivations and drivers of violent extremism, particularly among African youth, such as marginalization, lack of opportunities, and grievances with governments. The document outlines some continental initiatives for countering violent extremism and notes the ongoing challenges, including the return of foreign terrorist fighters from conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

1. IRL4811-A: CRITICAL
ISSUES IN AFRICA
Terrorism
and violent extremism

2. Overview of the Session
Introduction
Terrorist Groups in Africa
Violent extremism
African youth and the growth of violent extremism
Motivations for violent extremism
Terrorism
P/CVE
Summing up

3. Introduction
Terrorism and violent extremism are arguably Africa’s
greatest security threats in 2021.
These non-state armed groups (NSAGs) reflect the fluid and
variable nature of conflict systems today and are at the heart
of some of the continent’s most enduring peace and security
challenges.
Africa’s porous borders, coupled with current trends such as
rapid urbanization and the youth bulge, global warming,
resource scarcity, Internet connectivity, and high levels of
migration, have helped regionalize conflict systems, and will
likely continue to do so in the future (United Nations
Development Programme, 2016).

4. Terrorist Groups in Africa
These non-state armed groups (NSAGs) include:
Al Shabaab, spreading from Somalia throughout East
Africa;
Boko Haram, from northern Nigeria into the greater
Lake Chad region;
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, from Algeria to
other states across the Sahel;
and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS),
continuing to make inroads into the continent (Mets,
2019).

5. Violent extremism
When a person’s beliefs move from being relatively
conventional to being radical, and they want a drastic
change in society, this is known as radicalisation.
This is not necessarily a bad thing and does not mean
these people will become violent.
However, if a person or group decides that fear,
terror and violence are justified to achieve ideological,
political or social change, and then acts accordingly,
this is violent extremism.

6. Violent extremism
Violent extremism is the beliefs and
actions of people who support or use
violence to achieve ideological,
religious or political goals.
This includes terrorism and other
forms of politically motivated and
communal violence.

7. African youth and the
growth of violent extremism
With 60% of Africa’s population under 25 years of age,
and recruitment efforts by extremist groups focused
mainly on youth, it is critical to address the reasons that
drive young people toward violent extremism.
In their 2017 study based on interviews with hundreds
of voluntary recruits to Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram,
the United Nations Development Programme found
that the journey to violent extremism is one marked by
exclusion and marginalisation, lack of opportunities,
and grievances with the state.
7

8. African youth and the
growth of violent extremism
About 71% of those interviewed cited
government action — the murder or
arrest of a family member or friend — as
the tipping point for joining a violent
extremist group, indicating the limits of
militarized counter-terrorism responses
by governments.

9. African youth and the
growth of violent extremism

10. African youth and the
growth of violent extremism

11. Motivations
for violent extremism
Motivations are varied and many usually
relate to particular ideologies (for example,
interpretations of political movements or
religious beliefs), issues such as
environmental or economic concerns, or
ethnic or separatist causes.
People can also be motivated by more than
one issue.

12. Issue-based violence
Violent extremism dedicated to a specific
issue or cause such as animal liberation,
environmental activism or anti-gun control,
is known as ‘issue-based violent extremism’.
Supporters of this type of violent
extremism can include groups that are anti-
government, anti-globalisation or anti-
capitalist.

13. Issue-based violence
Activism dedicated to a specific issue can be
disruptive but is often used simply to draw attention
to a cause through peaceful means.
However, violence, threatening behaviour and/or
criminal damage are sometimes advocated by people
who want to take their cause a step further.
People or groups that use or support violence to
promote their cause are of major concern and may
be acting illegally.

14. Countering Violent
Extremism in Africa
Militant Islamist violence in Africa is largely
concentrated in five theaters, each comprising distinct,
locally based actors and context-specific challenges:
 the Sahel,
 Somalia,
 the Lake Chad Basin,
 North Africa
 and Mozambique.

17. Countering Violent
Extremism in Africa
Employing asymmetric tactics and integrating within
local communities, militant groups have sought to
amplify grievances and intercommunal differences as a
means of mobilizing recruitment and fostering
antigovernment sentiments.
Given these complex challenges, governments must
prioritize building trust with local communities while
developing more robust and mobile defense
capabilities to sustain a security presence in contested
regions.

18. Countering Violent
Extremism in Africa cont.
This runs the spectrum from creating jobs and
providing basic services, to more “soft power”
actions that reduce tensions in communities
and build trust, such as engaging communities
and civil society groups in dialogue, as well as
counter-messaging and enforcing human
rights standards in interactions by law
enforcement actors.

19. Youth Groups
promoting peace
Youth themselves are at the forefront of some of
the initiatives to tackle the spread of violent
extremism.

20. Youth Groups
promoting peace

21. Continental Initiatives to Tackle
Violent Extremism and Terrorism
The African Union Commission’s Interfaith
Dialogue on Violent Extremism (iDove), for
example, meets with youth activists who already
have their established networks as allies.
Since 2017, annual intercontinental youth forums
have served as a platform for young people from
Africa and Europe to come together with
policymakers, artists, members of civil society and
others to exchange ideas on preventing violent
extremism.

22. Continental Initiatives to Tackle
Violent Extremism and Terrorism
iDove also promotes intra and
interfaith dialogue, and better
understanding of the underlying
reasons why young people join
violent groups, and where they
can seek help.

23. Continental Initiatives to Tackle
Violent Extremism and Terrorism
The Nigeria Youth 4 Peace Initiative, set
up by young peacebuilders, works with
hundreds of activists from West Africa
to counter violent extremism in the
region by engaging youth in campaigns,
establishing peace clubs in schools and
conducting resilience-building activities
to counter recruitment messaging.

24. Continental Initiatives to Tackle
Violent Extremism and Terrorism
In East Africa, the Commonwealth Youth
Peace Ambassadors Network is addressing
violent extremism through initiatives such
as “A Legacy of Prevention” which is
focused on closing knowledge gaps
identified in preventing and countering
violent extremism in the region.

25. Challenges
But even as governments and local
communities in different countries make gains
against violent extremism, new challenges arise.
Africans are among the 40,000 foreign terrorist
fighters from 110 countries that the UN
estimates joined the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Some of these fighters are now returning
home.

26. Challenges
Other fighters and non-combatant women and
children are trapped in third countries having
fled previously-held extremist group
strongholds.
Some children were actively involved in the
fighting.
They will all require rehabilitation and
reintegration into communities that may
struggle to welcome them.

27. Challenges
Governments, organisations and
communities working to prevent
violent extremism will need to make
sure that these young people who
have returned receive the support
they need to rebuild their lives.

28. THANK YOU