The Political Economy of Terrorism and Counter-terrorism in Twenty-First-Century Africa: A Critical Evaluation

Abstract

The phenomenon of extremism has continued to be a thorny issue in the international system due to the grave danger its violent manifestations in the form of terrorism pose to state survival, stability and human security in the modern world. Since the latter years of the Cold War and into the twenty-first century, various state and non-state actors debated and sought academic and policy answers to the challenges posed by violent extremism and terrorism albeit amidst much contestation, disagreement and controversy not only around the nature and motivations behind the vice but also how to approach and sustainably address it. Be it as it may, many today agree that the intentions and repertoires of terror and the extremist ideologies behind it pose grave danger to humanity and the future well-being of humankind. Yet, while Africa is no stranger to this discourse, extant academic and policy works on this subject area appear to have paid far less attention to the economic intricacies and concomitant political dynamics of terrorism and counter-terrorism on the continent. Against this background, this chapter makes a critical evaluation of the political economy of terrorism and counter-terrorism in twenty-first-century Africa. Pertinent questions here include what are the economic implications of terrorism in Africa? What is the politico-economic sense of terrorism, on the one hand, and counter-terrorism, on the other, on the continent? Further, how is terrorism and counter-terrorism in Africa resourced and/or funded, by whom and why? By so doing, the discussion teases out a number of pertinent understandings and pointers that would hopefully add value to a better understanding around the phenomenon of terrorism and how to counter and/or prevent it going forward.