Terrorism_Reading Memo

Terrorism, defined as unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims, is a phenomenon well entrenched in most parts of the world. Africa is no exception, the threat of terrorism is very real on the continent and tackling of the issue poses a big challenge to both state and non state actors. In broad terms, reading material for the following class explores the characteristics of terrorism in Africa and I believe it can serve as a nice foundation for an attempt to two crucial questions that firs come to my mind when thinking about the issue. Firstly, why have the terrorist movements become so widespread in Africa or why have they come to be in the first place, and, secondly, what can be done to stop the continuation of terrorist acts and prevent them in the future,

One of the regions current under international spotlight when it comes to terrorism is the Sahel region. This is largely to very severe and widespread atrocities committed by Boko Haram, a notorious terrorist organisation active mainly in northern Nigeria. Although one of the article points out that the nature of violent acts itself (rapes, abductions, mass killings) does not greatly differ from the tactics used by many other insurgency groups in Africa, Boko Haram perhaps stands out because of the scale of violence perpetuated by the group and because of the international media attention it receives (it fits nicely into to the broader discourse about the rise of 'radical Islamist' terrorism in the world). What I found especially interesting in the readings is the claim that Boko Haram should not be understood primarily through the narrative of the clash of Western and Islamic civilizations (as the famous, but in my opinion false, Huntington's theory would make us think) but as a response to movements (maybe we can even call it liberalisation) inside the Muslim society in Nigeria. By that I mean mainly better standards in education and improving position of women. I believe that this kind of framing of terrorism in sub-Saharan Africa is important, because it shows the complexity of the issue. Moreover it provides something more to explaining the rise of terrorism than the more generalised explanations of it, which I will now begin to discuss.

The article comparing Boko Haram and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) provides us with knowledge about some similarities that different insurgency groups share. Boko Haram and LRA have both come to existence in similar social, economic and political conditions, even though they are two different phenomena in two different parts of Africa and different times. Both groups share the perception that they belong to a marginalised minority in their respective countries, this perception comes from the view that they are treated unfairly by the politically more powerful forces in their countries, which leads to for example economic inequality and subsequent marginalisation. I think that this theory is very useful, but it can be applied to a vast range of different opposition groups and does not adequately explain why the groups have turned so violent. But nevertheless the mentioned theory is extremely useful for explaining the narrative that the groups use and for explaining the motivations behind those narratives. 

If we move on to addressing the second question I have asked, what can be done to stop the terrorist movements, the conclusion that the root causes of terrorism have to be dealt with come to one's mind instinctively. Namely, states should strive provide educational and job opportunities for the population and they should also try to assert themselves as legitimate administrative and legislative bodies. The latter goal is closely connected to the necessity of the states to be seen as a inclusive group of institutions that do not discriminate ethnic or religious minorities. Of course, the problem of terrorism is not only a chronic one, but terrorism also presents an acute security threat that must be, to a certain degree, fought against with force. But countries should be very careful when selecting the scale and severity of such 'practical security solutions'. One of the authors discussed the improper use of force on the example of Al Shabaah in the eastern part of Africa. The article bears a very memorable name: Killing a mosquito with a hammer. The mentioned academic text does a fine job in explaining how the response of the Kenyan state to the threat of Al Shabaab and its perception of the terrorist organisation as an external threat has hurt a much larger share of population than it was probably intended to hurt and how it has created an even deeper wedge between the Muslims and the rest of population in Kenya thus reinforcing the conditions that lead to terrorism in the first place.

In conclusion,  terrorism is a very real problem in Africa, and the severity of the problem is being (more or less) recognized both by states and societies on the African continent. But we must not forget that terrorism is a very complex issue also, and I believe that understanding the complexity of terrorism in crucial to preventing it. Terrorism is too often seen only through the prism of the direct security or military threat it poses to the rest of the society, but in many cases terrorism is just a symptom of a much more significant disease. The disease that we hear often about, but seem to be lacking skill and political will to deal with it. Apart from terrorism the disease has many other symptoms such as poverty, widespread crime, lack of opportunities and- the name of the disease is failure of the state and this is the issue that needs to be addressed for terrorism to be defeated once and for all.