An Outline Of Terrorist Threats During Africa With The End...

The goal of the paper is to provide an outline of terrorist threats in Africa with the end goal of advising counterterror operations on the continent. Countering the rise of militant extremism has central to U.S. strategy in the Middle East, but the same has not generally been true for Africa. A mix of communal tensions, radical Islamism, and anti-Americanism has produced a breeding ground for militancy. The most concentrated and organized terror threats in the region are composed of three main groups, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al-Shabaab, and the Boko Haram. They are motivated primarily by Islamic extremism, but also by economic and political factors, and are regional actors, contributing to instability. Preconditions for†¦show more content†¦The have vulnerable and corrupt central governments, undertrained and underequipped armies and drug trades that provide a source of income. Africa’s Islamists are able to take advantage of the fact that many of the continent’s countries have porous borders; weak central governments and militaries; and lawless spaces that are large and far away from major American military bases in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Ineffective Regional Response The capacity of African states to combat terrorism is limited and counterterrorism operations are not a priority for many states. Although they receive support from the African Union (AU), the African state is the primary instrument, while the AU provides frameworks and strategies for individual state action. This reliance on the African state is also the weakness of any counterterror efforts. Political leaders have used terrorist threats as an excuse to consolidate their rule and undermine democracy, alienating their populations. This makes the citizens vulnerable to the propaganda of extremists and genuine counterterror efforts more difficult. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Goals Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a jihadist militant group operating in the Sahel region that includes Niger, Mauritania, and Mali. The group originated during Algeria s civil war, and has become a regional al-Qaeda affiliate.