Although the U.S. and African Union troops have strived to combat Islamic extremism and related terrorist activities in the Horn of Africa for two decades, more recently across Central Africa, a continued interest in, if not expansion of, such activities elsewhere on the Africa continent is necessary. Given the rise of Boko Haram’s activity in the last decade, as well as events of the preceding years in Mali, including the surge driven by Ansar Al Dine, it would be wise to examine areas of nascent activity from which future threats may emanate. In addition to current host countries such as Nigeria and Mali, it is important that the international community look at other states in West Africa where these movements are gaining tenuous—but important—toeholds.
Terrorist organizations shrouded in the guise of religious extremism, especially al-Qaeda affiliated and internationally coordinated groups, pose some of the most significant threats to regional stability and peace across Africa. Not only do these entities perpetrate human rights abuses and undermine the rule of law, but they also present multifaceted threats to national and regional efforts to secure peace and stability. Mitigating the influence of these groups is a key objective to current stability operations funded by both host countries and international stakeholders.
The stated aims of these groups range from eradicating Western influences altogether to the overthrow of secular and non-Islamic governments and the installation of fundamentalist regimes based on Shari’a law. These aims are executed through the use of traditional terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings, targeted killings, and sustained guerrilla warfare. Host country citizens and international visitors may be targeted indiscriminately. That being said, it is critical to note that it is not the spread of the practice of Islam that should be considered an indicator of threat in itself, but rather the spread of extremist ideology within the frameworks of traditional mosques and socio-religious infrastructure.
Recently, the spread of extremist ideas has threatened to infiltrate thriving West African nations like Ghana, a country that in the past has been the poster child for economic stability and sociocultural diversity in Africa. Ever since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, Ghana has set an example for countries across Africa in promoting good governance and regional stability. However, while Ghana currently continues to enjoy prosperity and security, necessary investments are being made by the international community to protect the country from threats that are emanating from regional neighbors.
Dr. Maame Gyekye-jandoh, professor of Political Science at Legon University in Accra, Ghana, has suggested that, “[There] needs to be a talk about this in Parliament and a plan to mitigate this [nascent threat] through addressing social issues...We need to look at the root problems [like] unequal distribution of resources and a feeling of disrespect,” amongst practitioners of different religions and various ethnic sects. Currently, there is little dialogue at the national level about these issues of regional security. Instead, it is largely imams, pastors, and priests who will address such current events in their religious services. While it is important that civil society has already accepted that these issues are important to discuss, it is vital that state governments throughout Africa and beyond accept that there needs to be a concerted effort to bring these issues into fora of public debate to encourage the cultivation of an informed and, hopefully, tolerant public citizenry.
While it is important for the government of Ghana to educate its citizens on these issues, aid and support from the international community is also vital to maintaining peace and security in Ghana. Currently, the U.S. Department of State is investing in government-to-government exchanges with Ghana through the U.S. International Visitor Program, as well as supporting youth exchanges and study abroad programs. Ghana is one of many African states that also benefits from development assistance provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. President’s Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), amongst other programs.
Similarly, the U.S. and Ghanaian militaries have cooperated on numerous joint training exercises through U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program, through which the U.S. hopes to facilitate the development of an interoperable peacekeeping capacity amongst Africa nations, and also participates in a bilateral International Military and Education Training (IMET) program. Collectively, this represents hundreds of millions of U.S. investments to ensure stability in Ghana alone.
For its part, the international community should remain in the background in future endeavors. The most durable contributions that can be made are through assistance that enable African efforts, such as promoting coordination amongst stakeholder states and investing in the enhancement of operational enablers like AMISOM communications, sustainment activities such as logistics and life support, and strategic assistance through the provision of ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) support.
Despite growing—and warranted—concerns over regional insecurities, there remains a bright future for stability and prosperity across the African continent. While the international community must remain cognizant of the importance of countering violent extremist organizations, the majority of stakeholders across government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and private industry alike are dedicated to growing economic prosperity and ensuring sustainable security across the continent.
Photo: Jordi Bernabeu Farrús (cc).
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Managing Nascent Islamic Extremism Across Africa
June 30, 2014
Although the U.S. and African Union troops have strived to combat Islamic extremism and related terrorist activities in the Horn of Africa for two decades, more recently across Central Africa, a continued interest in, if not expansion of, such activities elsewhere on the Africa continent is necessary. Given the rise of Boko Haram’s activity in the last decade, as well as events of the preceding years in Mali, including the surge driven by Ansar Al Dine, it would be wise to examine areas of nascent activity from which future threats may emanate. In addition to current host countries such as Nigeria and Mali, it is important that the international community look at other states in West Africa where these movements are gaining tenuous—but important—toeholds.
Terrorist organizations shrouded in the guise of religious extremism, especially al-Qaeda affiliated and internationally coordinated groups, pose some of the most significant threats to regional stability and peace across Africa. Not only do these entities perpetrate human rights abuses and undermine the rule of law, but they also present multifaceted threats to national and regional efforts to secure peace and stability. Mitigating the influence of these groups is a key objective to current stability operations funded by both host countries and international stakeholders.
The stated aims of these groups range from eradicating Western influences altogether to the overthrow of secular and non-Islamic governments and the installation of fundamentalist regimes based on Shari’a law. These aims are executed through the use of traditional terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings, targeted killings, and sustained guerrilla warfare. Host country citizens and international visitors may be targeted indiscriminately. That being said, it is critical to note that it is not the spread of the practice of Islam that should be considered an indicator of threat in itself, but rather the spread of extremist ideology within the frameworks of traditional mosques and socio-religious infrastructure.
Recently, the spread of extremist ideas has threatened to infiltrate thriving West African nations like Ghana, a country that in the past has been the poster child for economic stability and sociocultural diversity in Africa. Ever since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, Ghana has set an example for countries across Africa in promoting good governance and regional stability. However, while Ghana currently continues to enjoy prosperity and security, necessary investments are being made by the international community to protect the country from threats that are emanating from regional neighbors.
Dr. Maame Gyekye-jandoh, professor of Political Science at Legon University in Accra, Ghana, has suggested that, “[There] needs to be a talk about this in Parliament and a plan to mitigate this [nascent threat] through addressing social issues...We need to look at the root problems [like] unequal distribution of resources and a feeling of disrespect,” amongst practitioners of different religions and various ethnic sects. Currently, there is little dialogue at the national level about these issues of regional security. Instead, it is largely imams, pastors, and priests who will address such current events in their religious services. While it is important that civil society has already accepted that these issues are important to discuss, it is vital that state governments throughout Africa and beyond accept that there needs to be a concerted effort to bring these issues into fora of public debate to encourage the cultivation of an informed and, hopefully, tolerant public citizenry.
While it is important for the government of Ghana to educate its citizens on these issues, aid and support from the international community is also vital to maintaining peace and security in Ghana. Currently, the U.S. Department of State is investing in government-to-government exchanges with Ghana through the U.S. International Visitor Program, as well as supporting youth exchanges and study abroad programs. Ghana is one of many African states that also benefits from development assistance provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. President’s Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), amongst other programs.
Similarly, the U.S. and Ghanaian militaries have cooperated on numerous joint training exercises through U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program, through which the U.S. hopes to facilitate the development of an interoperable peacekeeping capacity amongst Africa nations, and also participates in a bilateral International Military and Education Training (IMET) program. Collectively, this represents hundreds of millions of U.S. investments to ensure stability in Ghana alone.
For its part, the international community should remain in the background in future endeavors. The most durable contributions that can be made are through assistance that enable African efforts, such as promoting coordination amongst stakeholder states and investing in the enhancement of operational enablers like AMISOM communications, sustainment activities such as logistics and life support, and strategic assistance through the provision of ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) support.
Despite growing—and warranted—concerns over regional insecurities, there remains a bright future for stability and prosperity across the African continent. While the international community must remain cognizant of the importance of countering violent extremist organizations, the majority of stakeholders across government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and private industry alike are dedicated to growing economic prosperity and ensuring sustainable security across the continent.
Photo: Jordi Bernabeu Farrús (cc).
