How the Coronavirus Increases Terrorism Threats in the Developing World (original) (raw)
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CENTRAL ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HISTORY, 2022
Boko Haram has become one of the deadliest international terrorist groups across the globe. Its activities have also become increasingly alarming following the death of its founder, Mohammad Yusuf, in 2009, while he was in police custody. To this end, this paper investigated international terrorism and food insecurity in West Africa, with a focus on the Boko Haram terrorist group in Nigeria. This study adopted the instrumental theory of terrorism. Oral interviews, documentaries, and historical designs were employed. The study relied on both primary (interview) and secondary data. Content analysis was adopted as its analytical tool. The paper argued that international terrorism has deepened food insecurity in West Africa with the disruptive activities of Boko Haram.
Future (Im)Perfect? Mapping Conflict, Violence and Extremism in Africa
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
This pAper expAnds on the analysis presented in a number of previous publications by the institute for security studies (iss) 1 on the drivers of conflict and instability in Africa. Apart from contextual analyses from a variety of sources, the paper relies on data from three large conflict data providers, namely the Uppsala Conflict data program (UCdp) at the Uppsala University in sweden, 2 the Armed Conflict Location and event data project (ACLed) at the University of sussex 3 and the Global Terrorism database (GTd) hosted by the University of Maryland in the UsA. 4 The first section presents global and African trends in armed conflict since 1960. it then moves on in the second section to place armed conflict within the broader context of political violence using more recent event data. Absolute fatality or event data at country level can, however, be quite misleading given the large disparities in population size between countries such as nigeria and somalia. The third section therefore presents an analysis of the fatality burden between key affected countries per 100 000 people to provide a comparable measure of the 'conflict burden' at national level. The paper then examines the high levels of non-state conflict in the Middle east and Africa compared to the rest of the world. This analysis introduces an examination of the systemic imbalances that drive instability in Africa. For reasons that relate to history, culture and geography, a broad distinction is made between sub-saharan Africa, 5 north Africa 6 and the Middle east. 7
GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM: BOKO-HARAM INSURGENCY IN THE WEST AFRICA
International Journal of Politics and Administration (IJPA), 2019
After the 11 th September 2001 terrorist attack on American soil, there have been continuous emphasis on the commitment to fight terrorism by the international community. The threat posed to national and regional security by the activities of such terrorist group like Boko Haram cannot be overlooked considering its socioeconomic , political and even psychological impact on the affected areas in West Africa. The rampaging terrorist attacks on communities within the West African sub-region have really contributed in the disarticulation of development process and moreover social life in these affected regions. It is evident that the continuous gap between the leadership and the led due to corruption, unresponsive leadership, unaccountability, visionless policies, unbridled yearning for continuous accumulation of wealth among other disparaging attributes of Africa's leadership have contributed to continuous violent extremism by terrorist groups within the West African sub region. Utilizing the secondary sources of data, content analysis and the Conflict theory, the paper examines global war on terrorism, with emphasis on Boko Haram insurgency in the West Africa sub-region. The paper concluded that Boko Haram insurgency in the West Africa sub-region remains a threat to the peace and development of the region.
TERRORISM AND POLITICAL STABILITY IN AFRICA : A CASE STUDY OF THE BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY
The frequent Boko Haram insurgences in the North-Eastern part of the country is still the latest act of terrorism in the country. The tactics, strategies and mode of operations adopted by these terrorists are similar and professional in line with terrorist ideologies and practices found elsewhere around the world. The ugly phenomenon of terrorism has dented the image and credibility Nigeria among other nations of the world.
Africa and the Global War on Terrorism and Violent Extremism: An analysis of the next frontier
Terrorist and violent extremist groups are proliferating in Africa. Today the continent is virtually encircled by pockets of Islamist terror groups from the Horn of Africa, Northern Africa and the Maghreb region, to West Africa, and more recently, parts of Southern Africa. Another growing trend is the pairing up of these terror groups with those in the Middle East (Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-ISIS), and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters between the two regions. The most disturbing emergent trend of these groups is perhaps the move to territorial control since this exposes the fragility of the African state and raises questions of governance, state control and security preparedness. This analysis restricts itself to Africa's modern history. It traces the historical development of terrorism and violent extremism on the continent and highlights its anatomy in Africa today. It explores the challenges that predispose Africa to terrorism and violent extremism and highlights the global war on terror on the continent in the light of Africa's preparedness for a war that has been largely US-led.
The Effect of Terrorism and Insurgency on the Security of African Nations: An Appraisal
PanAfrican Journal of Governance and Development (PJGD)
Recently, Africa has been labeled a theatre of war due to incessant terrorist attacks that plagued its landscape. This situation, among others, explains why the continent's development has been slow or stagnated in all spheres, and Africa has been accorded little recognition in the international arena. Against this background, this paper examined the effects of terrorism on the security of African nations. The descriptive method was adopted, and a secondary source of data collection was used in sourcing relevant data. At the same time, content analysis was utilized as a framework for analyzing the data. The paper revealed that though terrorism and insurgency have been issues rooted in history, they have recently become serious challenges to the security of African nations, impacting negatively on African nations and their development. The paper posited that religious prejudice, deprivations, and the feeling of neglect are the underlying factors breeding terrorism and insurgency ...
Fragile State of Africa, Non-state Actors and COVID 19: Annual Assessment
2021
With the end of year 2020, the international policy pundits have taken the annual assessment of post Covid-19 scenario across the globe. This paper aims at assessment of the Fragile state of Africa, which has been facing a double-edged sword. Africa has witnessed maximum attacks by the two groups affiliated to ISIS and Al Qaeda as well as significant number of Covid cases. The two most significant terror groups Boko Haram and Al Shabab have taken advantage of the pandemic to challenge the state authorities. Aim of this paper is to review the year 2020 and what has been its impact on the citizens of Africa, it also discusses the impact of natural calamity like locust attack which effects the food supply and demand cycle including its impact on food and nutrition. Due to high impact on the food and grains the grievances amongst the people have raised and this has been used as an opportunity by the non-state actors to attract more and more volunteers to join the group. Therefore, this ...
Explaining the Emergence of Boko Haram: State Failure and Relative Deprivation
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020
For more than a decade, Boko Haram terror attacks, although not regular occurrences, have remained the greatest security threats in Nigeria, mostly in the north-east and in neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad Basin. The group has threatened social, economic and political stability, which in turn impedes economic development. Corruption, poverty, unemployment, and inequality remain acute in Nigeria, specifically in the north-east region in which Boko Haram attacks have been dominant and recurring. The study utilises desktop research and employs state failure and relative deprivation theory as the methodology and analytical framework to help explain the emergence and the rise of Boko Haram. The study examines how inequality, corruption, unemployment, and poverty have created fertile grounds for resentment and anger in Nigeria. It also examines the ways in which these factors have made it difficult to curb the terror attacks. The connection between state failure and relative deprivation and its links to terrorism are explored by linking the theory and the empirical evidence of bad governance, poverty, unemployment and human security inequalities in north-east Nigeria. The study contends that Nigeria as a whole should not be called a failed or a failing state. However, the north-east region falls under the umbrella of failed or failing state because of available evidence of the characteristics of a failed or failing state. There the extent of poverty and underdevelopment is relatively higher than other states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The study argues that the state's response to the Boko Haram problem has been the use of a heavy-handed military approach, with severe human rights violations and limited efforts to address the main causes of the crisis. This approach is combined with an absence of non-violent conflict resolution approaches such as negotiations. Regional and continental bodies have also made use of military interventions, while there have been fewer efforts to address the root causes. On a state level, the study argues that corruption, lack of political will, poor security mechanisms, and human rights abuses have worsened the situation and have made intervention efforts less effective. The regional and continental bodies also lacked the capacity and the common will to intervene timeously to resolve the crisis. The thesis concludes by recommending that the state and all parties involved embrace a ‘soft’ approach that aims to address the root causes of the problem in the north-eastern region, which Boko Haram has capitalised on, in order to garner support from the disgruntled youth.