The threat can be addressed on a countrybycountry basis, and in many cases limited u. Filesafricawestafrica niger208nigeranotherweaklinkinthesahelenglish. Countering terrorism and violent extremism in africa accord. Court documents, research on extremist groups in south africa and media reports were studied. The islamic tradition in west africa is a rich one, with many facets that lend themselves to close understanding and cooperation with. Broadly speaking, there are three distinct phases in the evolution of islamic stateinspired extremism in south africa.
Related terms include islamist extremism and islamism. Methodology this study used publicly available documentation and qualitative, semistructured interviews to explore the threat of violent extremism in south africa. The notion of an islamic extremist organization warrants more detailed explanation. Over the past two decades, the threat posed by violent extremist groups that espouse.
Three new islamic state affiliates have come to the fore. The rise in terrorism and violent extremism in africa has created severe security threats as this growing phenomenon has resulted in death, destruction and instability in the countries and regions where terrorist groups operate. The group, still widely referred to as boko haram, subsequently split into two factions. Threat of homegrown islamist terrorism council on foreign.
It poses a distinctive threat to africa partly because many african countries have substantial. In algeria, the armed islamic group made up of foreign fighters and former. The bush administration has focused on destroying al qaeda in east africa, but it has been slow to address lessvisible terrorist threats elsewhere on the continent, such as islamist extremism in nigeria and criminal syndicates in west africa s failed states. This paper contends that islamic extremism poses a threat to the national interests of the united states supply. This decision was driven in the main by the realisation that. Islamic extremist network reveals cooperation between the three regimes to achieve their common goals and support for other islamic extremist groups. These events include the 1979 hostage taking at the american embassy in tehran, the 1983 bombing of the u.
Jihads next battleground the fight against islamic state is moving to africa. In the aftermath of the 11 september 2001 terrorist attacks in the united states us, terrorism has increasingly become a new tactic of warfare and a key security threat, both in africa and globally. Nov 06, 20 islamic terrorist are hell bent on spreading arab rule over the world. A framework for redressing this threat, therefore, will require a series of actions on both levels. Jamaat nusrat al islam wal muslimeen jnim jnim is a coalition of the following militant islamist groups, founded in march of 2017 and led by the leader of ansar dine, iyad ag ghaly. The islamic state has reached out to southeast asians through social media encouraging acts of violence. Radical islam radical islam is a global phenomenon, generated by the uncontrolled dissemination of extremist ideology, supported by vast private wealth in the gulf, the use of which is not subject to scrutiny. Yet its proximity to somalia and a rise in violent extremist incidents over the past five years both on mainland tanzania and the semiautonomous island region.
Response congressional research service summary the united states government has implemented a range of programs to counter violent extremist threats in east africa in response to al qaedas bombing of the u. Islamic extremism was a concern for 72 percent of the nigerians polled in a study conducted by the pew research center in 2014 and has been a top priority for nigerian politicians. Islamic extremism is any form of islam that opposes democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. While still largely concentrated in five main theaters, the distribution of militant islamist group activity across the continent has grown more dispersed. Boko haram and the islamic states west africa province. Dec 22, 2016 rethinking the threat of islamic extremism. The isis caliphate may be largely broken up, but substantial elements of both movements remain. There is no formal islamic state affiliate in southeast asia today, but there is a threat. South africa has been linked to alshabaab, alqaeda and, more recently, the islamic state of iraq and syria, with 60100 south africans estimated to have joined the group. Terrorism has been both a threat to southern africa and has become a preeminent concern of the international community. The changing face of the islamic state in south africa. A threat for the future csc 1994 subject area topical issues executive summary title. Preventing terrorism and extremism in the horn of africa.
It seemingly recognises the need for a broader middle east policy based on a response to the threats from islamic extremismand over a longer time scale. Related terms include islamist extremism and radical islam. Nov 06, 20 via terrorism, extremism major threats to africas stability the herald november 6, 20 the biggest threats to africas stability and security are terrorism and extremism and intelligence chiefs on the continent need to provide solutions on how to deal with the scourge, intelligence chiefs from the continent meeting in harare have said. Exploring alternate approaches to address the threat of terrorism that minimise human suffering. To learn more about jihad, and its relationship to modern day islamic extremism, please see the op250 reading on jihad. Security threats facing africa and its capacity to respond.
Reconceptualizing the drivers of violent extremism terre des. The threat of extremism in south africa tuesday, 06 april 2010 03. After capturing large swaths of iraq and syria in 2014, the islamic state attracted tens of thousands of foreigners who sought to build a new islamic society in a modern caliphate. Noting the proliferation of terrorism and violent extremism in the horn of africa, the african union established amisom in february of 2007. He is currently researching islamism throughout subsaharan africa. Also known as islamic extremism 1 some muslims perceive their religion to be threatened by nonmuslims or they believe the islamic political rule is threatened by nonmuslims. Threat from african militant islamist groups expanding.
Africanglobe the biggest threats to africas stability and security are terrorism and extremism and intelligence chiefs on the continent need to provide solutions on how to deal with the scourge, intelligence chiefs from the continent meeting in harare have said. Islamic extremists believe that the world currently exists. Although global attention toward the islamic state has generally focused on the middle east, the group is finding adherents throughout subsaharan africa as well. Radicalization and violent extremism are not new to africa, but have evolved over the last two decades in more significant ways.
The burke chair has carried out an analysis of the trends in global and regional terrorism, and the causes and impact of violent islamic extremism. South africa has been linked to alshabaab, alqaeda and, more recently, the islamic state of iraq and syria. Subsaharan africas three new islamic state affiliates. Militant islamist ideology has emerged only relatively recently in the regionimported from the arab worldchallenging longestablished norms of tolerance. The case of tanzania by harvey glickman harvey glickman is professor emeritus of political science at haverford college and senior fellow at the foreign policy research institute. Jan 18, 2020 the threat from militant islamist groups in africa is not monolithic but comprises activity from a constantly shifting mix of roughly two dozen groups actively operating in 14 countries. The terrorist threat in africa council on foreign relations.
Terrorism, extremism major threats to africas stability. Exploring alternate approaches to address the threat of terrorism that minimise. This analysis is entitled rethinking the threat of islamic extremism. Alexander noyes tanzania is often viewed as a stable country in a region plagued by civil wars and coups detat. But despite warnings that islam is becoming increasingly conservative in africa. Violent islamist groups are gaining strength in the sahel. South africa has also faced local extremist threats, with the last known plot thwarted. This indifference could be costly for africans and americans both. The journey to extremism in africa team who collaborated in producing the research findings and the present aggregate report included. Equally important, however, it seeks to place those trends in the broad context of the diverse currents of islamic practice in the region and the social. Extremism poses a critical threat to the ability of largely islamic states to meet the needs of their rapidly growing populations the data and trend charts in the seventh section provide a wide range of metrics showing the other pressures that divide largely muslim states, and that can drive their populations towards extremism. Extremists are increasingly shaping the image of islam in africa. Fourteen somaliamericans were charged in august 2010 with providing material support and recruits for alshabaab, an islamic militant organization fighting an insurgency in somalia. Also known as islamic extremism 1 some muslims perceive their religion to be threatened by nonmuslims or they believe the islamic political rule is.
Violent extremism in south africa assessing the current threat. Islamist extremism in east africa africa center for. Africanglobe the biggest threats to africas stability and security are terrorism and extremism and intelligence chiefs on the continent need to provide solutions on how to deal with the scourge, intelligence chiefs from the continent meeting in harare have said the intelligence chiefs, meeting under the auspices of. Against violent extremism has led to a surge in threat warnings, investigations, arrests, and interrogations. The linkage of the islamic state could empower militants and rekindle a broader terrorist threat in the region. Defining extremism establishing a definition for extremism is the first step in understanding the threat that may be posed by it. This is not just a reflection of jihadist groups recent inventiveness and adaptation, but the culmination of longerterm historical and global trends. Some people oppose the use of the term, fearing it could delegitimize the islamic faith in general. The purpose of this paper is to describe the threat posed by islamic extremist movements to the united states. In 2015, we developed a bold africa wide initiative, preventing and responding. Reportedly, it also includes a recognition that maintaining a government in iraq that is independent of iran is an important element in the strategy. Red dots represent attacks carried out by terrorist groups associated with religious ideologies.
Radicalization and violent extremism in africa pambazuka news. The emergence of the islamic statealso known as isis, isil, or daeshtransformed the world of jihadism. Ansar dine founded by iyad ag ghaly, after he failed to become leader of the national movement for the liberation of azawad mnla, which pushed for secession in. Violent extremism and community policing in tanzania by lillian dang given tanzanias proximity to kenya and somalia, where alqa eda, alshabaab, and other terrorist organizations have expand ed their presence, the spread of violent extremism in tanzania is an issue of concern to regional security analysts. Trends in islamic extremism january 16, 2019 1 the trends in islamic extremism. Violent extremism and community policing in tanzania. Cordesman it is far from clear that al qaida or isis can ever be fully defeated. Islamic extremism and terrorism poses a serious transnational threat, but it is only serious in states that fail to meet the critical needs of a major part of their population. The complex and growing threat of militant islamist groups. Some have criticized political rhetoric that associates nonviolent. The bush administration has focused on destroying al qaeda in east africa, but it has been slow to address lessvisible terrorist threats elsewhere on the continent, such as islamist extremism in nigeria and criminal syndicates in west africas failed states. Countering terrorism and violent extremism in africa.
Islamic terrorist are hell bent on spreading arab rule over the world. Islam, terrorism, stability, and conflict in the middle east. The fundamentals of islamic extremism public intelligence. Alqaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim counter extremism. Fatalities from terrorist attacks in africa 20062015. Violent extremism and instability in the greater horn of africa. Recent unsettling events have focused americas attention to the potential threat presented by countries and movements dominated by the radical version of the islamic religion.
May 23, 2017 broadly speaking, there are three distinct phases in the evolution of islamic stateinspired extremism in south africa. He made governments before and after the end of apartheid nervous because he represented a challenge to the power of the state and a spark to civil war. Radicalization and violent extremism in africa pambazuka. A situation seems to have developed in the usa in which, while there has been a major welcome change in the obama administrations policy in the middle east and a recognition of the domestic threat from radicalised americans, those changes have not publicly identified the basic underlying problem as deriving from islamic extremism. Between terrorism and religious extremism shibley telhami.
Violent extremism and community policing in tanzania by lillian dang given tanzanias proximity to kenya and somalia, where alqa eda, alshabaab, and other terrorist organizations have expand ed their presence, the spread of violent extremism in tanzania is. Qaeda or islamic state is european external action service, 2017. Russell palarea introduction f ollowing the events of september 11, 2001, the us intelligence and law enforcement communities began a. As a formal alqaeda affiliate, the group is dedicated to dismantling regional governments and implementing sharia islamic law in areas where it operates, primarily in algeria, mali, mauritania, libya, tunisia, and niger. Transnational extremist groups are expanding their networks across the globe. Jan 29, 2019 islamic extremism and terrorism poses a serious transnational threat, but it is only serious in states that fail to meet the critical needs of a major part of their population. Alqaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim is a jihadist terrorist group based in north africa. The threat from militant islamist groups in africa is not monolithic but comprises activity from a constantly shifting mix of roughly two dozen groups actively operating in 14 countries. As a result, extremist and exclusivist islamic narratives can seem more compelling. It is not to be confused with islamism, which is politicized islam. The fight against islamic state is moving to africa. The jihadi threat united states institute of peace. Islam and the patterns in terrorism and violent extremism. The deepseated instability in the region has its roots in several issues arising in the 1990s with the experience of the algerian civil war, when for the first time in this crisis scenario an islamist extremist network appeared, known as the armed islamic group gia, an.
921 1249 510 1130 953 509 1019 1511 1486 749 407 732 1109 862 330 1195 613 638 959 1519 1008 14 932 370 1400 589 1064 1133 1456 766 575 34