Africa's War Within: The Rise and Reality of Islamist Terrorism

By New Age Islam Special Correspondent 12 June 2025 Africa increasingly becomes the epicentre of global jihadist activity, often overlooked in mainstream discussions that focus on the Middle East or South Asia. With extremist violence surging across regions like the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and parts of Central and Southern Africa, understanding the unique causes, ideologies, and local dynamics driving these movements is critical. Unlike their counterparts elsewhere, African terrorist groups often emerge from deep-rooted socio-political failures, making military solutions alone ineffective. By exploring these complexities and proposing multi-dimensional responses, this article aims to inform policymakers, academics, and the general public about the urgent need for a more holistic and locally grounded approach to counterterrorism in Africa. Major Points: 1. The emergence of Islamist terrorism in Africa cannot be explained without considering the historical and political context. Most African nations inherited fragile state institutions after colonial times. 2. One of the primary reasons why terrorism increases in Africa is that the inequality and poverty are so prevalent. 3. Africa has the capacity to defeat terror, not only in battles, but also in the minds and lives of its citizens. The path ahead will be difficult and long. 4. But as long as the African nations stand up to terror—sometimes silently, sometimes defiantly—there is hope that peace will return, villages will be rebuilt, and a new generation will be raised in freedom. ------ (Photo courtesy: The Economist) ----- By New Age Islam Special Correspondent 12 June 2025 In the last decade, Africa has become a significant theatre in the international war on terror. In the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, several Islamist extremist groups have exploited weak states, social discontent, and previous conflicts to set up bases, carry out lethal attacks, and recruit vulnerable youths. The groups may carry the ISIS or Al-Qaeda flags, but local dynamics as much drive their behaviour, agendas, and tactics as by international ideologies. Born from Neglect: The Originating Causes of Terrorism The emergence of Islamist terrorism in Africa cannot be explained without considering the historical and political context. Most African nations inherited fragile state institutions after colonial times. Corruption, bad governance horizontal inequalities, and chronic underdevelopment have rendered large areas of the continent without schools, employment, health, or justice. In these areas, extremist groups offer themselves as a substitute for collapsed governments. For youth, particularly those who are rural or neglected, extremist groups can offer money, authority, and a sense of belonging. If state institutions fail to function, terrorism is a means of survival and even a means of protest. Most do not become part of jihadist groups because they firmly believe in the ideologies but simply because they have no other option. Boko Haram and ISWAP: Nigeria's Nightmare Boko Haram is probably the best-known terror group in Africa. It originated in the early 2000s in northeastern Nigeria. Its name translates to "Western education is forbidden." It began as a religious anti-corruption and anti-inequality movement. But after a violent crackdown by Nigerian authorities, Boko Haram evolved into a militant movement. In 2014, the world awoke to the fact that the group abducted more than 270 girls from a school in Chibok. As time went by, Boko Haram split into various factions. The more organised and systematic faction that had a strategy is the Islamist State West Africa Province (ISWAP). ISWAP swore allegiance to ISIS in 2016. ISWAP focuses more on military facilities and attempts to win the heart and minds of the local population by providing services and addressing issues. Both factions continue to cause a lot of suffering in the Lake Chad area, killing numerous individuals and displacing millions of people. Al-Shabaab: An Enduring Threat in East Africa East Africa harbours Somalia's Al-Shabaab, a powerful and influential movement. Al-Shabaab began during the chaos of Somalia's civil war in the mid-2000s and quickly affiliated itself with Al-Qaeda. It seeks to topple the government of Somalia and replace it with an Islamist state run by strict Sharia law. Al-Shabaab occupies vast swaths of land in southern Somalia and has perpetrated atrocities in Kenya and Uganda, such as the 2013 Westgate Mall attack and the 2015 Garissa University attack. Decades of counterterrorism have not diminished the group's ability to recruit and maintain an urban and rural presence. The Sahel Crisis: Jihad in the Desert The Sahel region covering Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso is now one of the world's most bloody places in terms of Islamist violence. In the region, jihadist organisations such as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), which has ties with Al-Qaeda, and the Islamist State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) are battling governments and also battling each other. These groups take advantage of local political and ethnic grievances. In Mali, for instance, pastoralist Fulani believe that the government and other ethnicities treat them unfairly. In this situation, extremist groups have taken advantage to recruit, providing protection and equity in places where the state is absent. Because of this, violence has increasingly spread, making large areas ungovernable. Poverty, Injustice, and Radicalisation One of the primary reasons why terrorism increases in Africa is that inequality and poverty are so prevalent. Where there are a lot of youths without jobs and basic services are not available, extremist groups have no qualms about coming in. They provide cash, food, guns, and even sometimes purpose. Radicalisation is also a reason. The majority of African Muslims follow peaceful and tolerant forms of religion, namely Sufi Islam. In certain regions, radical clerics—supported in many cases by foreign funds—have introduced radical ideologies. These ideologies describe other religious groups as evil, encourage violence, and isolate communities from the general populace. When the State Fails Its People State failure is the norm in all areas where terrorism exists. In the remote areas, there might not even be police, courts in which justice is dispensed, or hospitals or schools to which citizens have access. Governments either do not exist or are in the pockets of criminals. When there seems to be a security force, they are likely to be repressive, stealing or hurting the civilians on whom they are relying to protect themselves. In such a scenario, extremist organisations offer a semblance of order. They make their own laws, they collect taxes, and they sometimes provide basic healthcare or education. For most villagers, it appears safer to live under the control of jihadists than to experience the anarchy that is a result of a failed government. Foreign Interventions: Helpful or Harmful? External interventions have been part of Africa's war on terror for decades. France led interventions in the Sahel with Operation Barkhane, but this was withdrawn in 2022 after years of warfare as it had little success and local people were becoming resentful. America maintains drone bases and special forces in countries like Niger and Somalia, where they are targeting air strikes and intelligence support. In the meantime, Russia is also involved. Russian mercenaries of the Wagner Group have been used in nations like Mali and the Central African Republic to fight extremists. They operate with ruthless disregard for human life and are not subject to international law. While they might provide short-term stability, they have a tendency to make long-term problems and human rights abuses worse. United Nations peacekeepers are present in all nations. But they do not succeed due to a lack of resources as well as political matters. Peacekeepers in certain regions have been attacked and have lost numerous lives. The Cost of Terror in Humans The impact of terrorism in Africa is huge. Millions of individuals have been displaced from their homes, causing huge humanitarian concerns. Whole areas are inaccessible to aid agencies because of ongoing violence. Education has been affected, with thousands of schools destroyed or closed. Children in many places are all they have ever known war to be and are displaced. Girls and women are most hit. They are kidnapped, raped, or married off by the militants. Survivors are ostracised and it is hard for them to start anew in rejecting communities. Economies are collapsing. Farmers are abandoning fields, and investors are pulling out. Tourism has collapsed. Terrorism does not just kill people—it kills ways of life. Local Opposition And Glimmers Of Hope Even in the midst of the confusion, many communities are standing firm. In Nigeria, a local militia, the Civilian Joint Task Force, has joined forces with the military to protect towns and share intelligence. In other countries, religious figures and community leaders are advocating peace and teaching moderate Islamist philosophy. Some nations have introduced deradicalisation programs, providing amnesty and retraining to former extremists. Results are mixed, but the programs demonstrate that violent extremists can be successfully returned to society if properly assisted and afforded opportunity. Civil society groups, teachers, and activists are making every effort to advance education, communication, and understanding. Local efforts are very important to creating sustainable peace despite being resource-poor and vulnerable to threats. What is Required to Be Done Military might alone will not solve this issue. The fight against terrorism in Africa has to start with good governance. Governments must be more engaged, more accountable, and more responsive to the needs of all people, and particularly in distant and abandoned regions. It's also economically significant. Creating jobs, constructing roads, and assisting small business owners can provide them with alternatives rather than getting involved in armed groups. Young people should be able to dream of a peaceful future. Not all one learns is reading and writing, but also critical thinking and being a good citizen. Local religious leaders, teachers, and community leaders who know the culture and can speak effectively with people must de-radicalise extremist ideologies. International allies need to move beyond short-term military aid to long-term peacebuilding and development. That means funding healthcare, education, and local judiciary. Regional cooperation needs to be increased, with greater sharing of intelligence and cooperation on joint operations to combat cross-border threats. Why African Terrorism Is Different Islamist terrorism in Africa differs from that which occurs in the Middle East or South Asia. Radicals in Africa are more interested in local grievances than in global ones. Religion is invoked to justify their actions, yet they are actually motivated by ethnic conflicts, competition for resources, and political marginalisation. These groups are also more decentralised, with small cells that are autonomous. Their structure makes them harder to track and destroy. Furthermore, Africa's Islamist societies—strongly rooted in Sufi practices and native customs—are quite different from the puritanical ideologies of groups like ISIS. This is both a challenge and an opportunity to combat radicalisation. A Continent at a Crossroads Africa's struggle against terror is not merely a matter of guns. It's a matter of ideas, identity, and survival. Radical groups have exploited fragile states and neglected communities. Yet the future can be different. With good policy, strong leaders, and assistance from other nations, Africa has the capacity to defeat terror—not only in battles, but also in the minds and lives of its citizens. The path ahead will be difficult and long. But as long as the African nations stand up to terror—sometimes silently, sometimes defiantly—there is hope that peace will return, villages will be rebuilt, and a new generation will be raised in freedom. 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