Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Africa: Fighting Insurgency from Al Shabaab, Ansar Dine and Boko Haram (New Security Challenges)

Hussein Solomon warns that Islamist-inspired insurgencies and terrorism pose an existential threat to several weak states in Africa. To stop the "Islamist juggernaut", Solomon advocates a continental counterterrorism strategy combining force of arms with the force of ideas. Policymakers and analysts in Africa and beyond should heed this forthright and fearless study by one of South Africa's foremost experts on terrorism.' Cover 1 Title 6 Copyright 7 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 9 List of Abbreviations 10 1: Understanding the Terrorist Threat in Africa and the Limitations of the Current Counter-Terrorist Paradigm 12 Introduction 12 Modern definitions of an old concept 13 African vulnerabilities 18 Countering terrorism: the traditional response 20 From critical theory to critical security studies 23 What is critical terrorism studies? 26 Creating an interface between traditional and critical terrorism studies 28 2: Islam in Africa 31 Introduction 31 Understanding the Islamist ideology 32 The enduring legacy of Arabism and Islamism 34 Charities, terrorist funding and indoctrination 39 Internal factors contributing to the rise of Islamism 42 Conclusion 46 3: Al Shabaab in Somalia: Between Clan and Faith 48 Introduction 48 The central importance of clans in Somali society 49 Towards an Islamist nationalism? 59 The inadequacy of the counter-terrorism paradigm 67 Conclusion 72 4: Ansar Dine in Mali: Between Tuareg Nationalism and Islamism 76 Introduction 76 Three interrelated sources of insecurity 77 The catalyst 81 On the path to the creation of a terrorist enclave in West Africa 82 Reflecting on intervention in Mali: successes and failures 85 Beyond intervention 89 5: Nigeria’s Boko Haram: Contesting Ethnic, Religious and Regional Identities 94 Introduction 94 The traditional counter-terrorism lens 95 Getting counter-terrorism wrong 98 The inadequacy of the traditional counter-terrorism lens 103 Multiple identities, multiple fault lines 104 Exclusionary state, exclusionary citizenship 105 Regional and socio-economic cleavages 107 Boko Haram: the franchise 109 Conclusion 111 6: Responding to Terror: An Assessment of African Union Counter-Terrorism Strategies 113 Introduction 113 An overview of the AU’s counter-terrorism regime 113 Six reasons for the failure of the AU’s counter-terrorism strategy 115 An ‘African Success’ story: the case of AMISOM 121 Conclusion 122 7: Responding to Terror: An Assessment of US Counter-Terrorism Strategies in Africa 124 Introduction 124 The military response 125 The critique of US responses 127 Conclusion 132 Conclusion 135 The growing Islamist threat in Africa 135 Weaknesses in the existing counter-terrorism approach 136 What is to be done? 140 Appendix 143 Notes 145 1 Understanding the Terrorist Threat in Africa and the Limitations of the Current Counter-Terrorist Paradigm 145 2 Islam in Africa 149 3 Al Shabaab in Somalia: Between Clan and Faith 153 4 Ansar Dine in Mali: Between Tuareg Nationalism and Islamism 161 5 Nigeria’s Boko Haram: Contesting Ethnic, Religious and Regional Identities 167 6 Responding to Terror: An Assessment of African Union Counter-Terrorism Strategies 172 7 Responding to Terror: An Assessment of US Counter-Terrorism Strategies in Africa 173 Conclusion 175 Index 177 Traditional counter-terrorism approaches, with their emphasis on the military, are failing. This is seen in the fact that there is an average of three terrorist attacks per day in Africa. This study calls for more holistic solutions, with an emphasis on development and better governance to curb the scourge of terrorism. The terrorist threat is growing in Africa, with the likes of Al Shabaab, Ansar Dine and Boko Haram exploiting Africa's vulnerabilities - whether ungoverned spaces or corrupt officials - to expand their operations. At the same time, traditional responses to terrorism, with their primarily military focus and privileging of the state, seem incapable of stopping this menace. This is evident in the fact that there are currently three terrorist attacks per day on the continent. To compound matters further, while these various terrorist organizations are co-operating, little co-ordination is taking place among the various African states despite the existence of the African Union and its counter-terrorist regime. Despite their efforts, external players like the United States' African Command have in many ways exacerbated the problem on account of their insufficient knowledge of the local context which is driving these insurgencies. This study calls for a more holistic approach, with greater emphasis on development and improved governance. Explaining both the limitations of current counter-terrorist strategies and how these strategies might be improved going forward, this timely study will be essential reading for scholars and practitioners alike Front Matter....Pages i-x Understanding the Terrorist Threat in Africa and the Limitations of the Current Counter-Terrorist Paradigm....Pages 1-19 Islam in Africa....Pages 21-37 Al Shabaab in Somalia: Between Clan and Faith....Pages 39-66 Ansar Dine in Mali: Between Tuareg Nationalism and Islamism....Pages 67-84 Nigeria’s Boko Haram: Contesting Ethnic, Religious and Regional Identities....Pages 85-103 Responding to Terror: An Assessment of African Union Counter-Terrorism Strategies....Pages 105-115 Responding to Terror: An Assessment of US Counter-Terrorism Strategies in Africa....Pages 117-127 Conclusion....Pages 129-136 Back Matter....Pages 137-182