Rethinking Africa’s stance on counter-terrorism
The Global Terrorism Index lists al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province, among the deadliest terror groups globally
When neither opponent can achieve the upper hand in a game of chess, it’s only a matter of time before a stalemate is declared. In a protracted battle in which no-one enjoys the upper hand, the question is not if but when there will be an impasse. Chess is, of course, a world away from the painful deadlock between states and terror groups characterised by the loss of lives and social upheaval — but it’s a useful analogy.
In the real world, countries in the Horn of Africa, the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel have formed coalitions against groups such as al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province and the Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. Military campaigns against some of these groups have dragged on for more than a decade, sustained by shrinking budgets largely bankrolled from outside the continent...
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