BENJI SHULMAN: African collaboration is vital to fight rising terror

About 35 countries are taking part in the Africa Chiefs of Defence Conference in Botswana this week, which brings together top military leaders from across the continent to exchange knowledge, encourage partnerships and foster collaboration to address shared security and stability challenges.

One of the items on the agenda is Islamist extremism on the continent. In the run-up to the conference the head of US Africa Command, US Marine Corps Gen Michael Langley, said they had been monitoring and identifying indications and warnings for a number of years. Whereas in 2008 only 4% of Islamic jihadists globally were in Africa, that number is now up to 40%. 

Indeed, Islamist violence has become an extensive challenge for African governments. According to the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, the continent suffered a nearly fourfold increase in reported violent events linked to militant Islamist groups over the past decade, from 1,812 events in 2014 to 6,756 in 2023.

It is not just the quantity of attacks that is growing; the nature of the violence is changing. One element is that the threat is moving increasingly into the Sub-Saharan region. A new study by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (Meari), “Tracking Terrorism Trends in Africa”, shows that while traditionally terrorism was seen as a problem of North Africa, the issue has steadily drifted south, now affecting countries such as Nigeria, Somalia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

Another change is the blending of international and local elements of the organisation of terrorist actions. While local and substate terror activity remains the mainstay organisational preference of terror groups on the continent, increasingly they are becoming affiliated with international groups such Isis and al-Qaeda. Unlike their local counterparts, who prioritise domestic grievances such as redress and access to power or the economy, these international groups have an ideological global agenda and seek to overturn the established governance order on the continent.

Counteract influence

Islamist extremists, notably those affiliated with al-Qaeda and Isis, have been responsible for unleashing an unprecedented wave of deadly violence across the continent. These acts of terror against African civilians mimic modalities used against civilians in the Levant, such as Iraq, Syria and Israel. This includes killings, beheadings, suicide bombings, abductions, looting and the destruction of infrastructure and sites of worship. Targets include government personnel, foreign aid workers, Christians and other civilians including Muslims who are perceived to oppose the Islamist ideological agenda.

Given the transnational nature of the threat to African lives and livelihoods, a co-ordinated strategy is essential to counteract its influence. While strengthening security responses is a crucial part of the process, it is not the only tool available to policymakers wishing to banish this scourge.

Strengthening political, peace and economic governance in Africa is also key. Part of this architecture is the need for government financial agencies to more actively and collaboratively clamp down on funding channels that have provided jihadists with resources to undertake their violent campaigns. 

SA is particularly crucial in this equation with its well-developed financial infrastructure and poor governance of monetary transactions. This combination is creating a perfect breeding ground for terror financing. The Meari report notes, for example, that money generated by Isis is often pooled inside SA and subsequently laundered across East Africa through an intricate network that finances its activities in other parts of the continent.

A further strategy is to begin to widen what continental authorities consider to be terrorism and what is part of normal law enforcement. In particular there is a need to combat the links between terrorism and transnational organised crime. Terrorism financing is not only a function of supporters who donate ideologically to the cause. It is also part of a wider network of illegal activities that help finance its activities.

Again looking at the Levant is instructive — Hezbollah, for example, makes use of a wide variety of activities to fund its operations. These include fraud and scams, shell charities (including in the DRC and SA), donations from Iran, diamonds, drugs and cigarette smuggling, and even attempts to take out life insurance policies for their operatives.

Any robust response by AU member states to the threat posed by terrorism will need to address the growing nexus and convergence of terrorism and conflict, as well a wide range of law enforcement agencies.

Terror has become increasingly dangerous on the continent and is threatening to undermine Africa’s development goals. By working together to root out enabling factors, African societies can push back its influence and the danger it represents.   

• Shulman is executive director of the Middle East Africa Research Institute.