African Counterterrorism Cooperation

Africa is a continent of growing strategic importance in the global war on terrorism. Over the past decade, it has seen a significant number of terrorist attacks and operations, both north and south of the Sahara. Many of these attacks have been led by, coordinated with, or purported to be in support of al Qaeda, but others have been launched by African organizations without significant external support. African Counterterrorism Cooperation provides an overview of terrorist threats in each African economic region and examines terrorism and counterterrorism efforts on the continent as a whole. Drawn largely from papers presented by distinguished experts at a recent conference sponsored by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, DC, this volume comprises chapters on terrorism threats and vulnerabilities in Africa, the roles of the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, counterterrorism measures in East Africa, terrorism threats and responses in the Southern African Development Community Region, and counterterrorism initiatives in the Economic Community of West African States. The final chapter offers an overview of U.S. support for African counterterrorism efforts. Edited by Dr. Andre Le Sage and with a foreword by Gen. Carlton W. Fulford, Jr., USMC (Ret.).

This book illustrates how Africa’s defence and security domains have been radically altered by drastic changes in world politics and local ramifications. First, the contributions of numerous authors highlight the transnational dimensions of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency in Africa and reveal the roles played by African states and regional organisations in the global war on terror. Second, the volume critically evaluates the emerging regional architectures of countering terrorism, insurgency, and organised violence on the continent through the African Union Counterterrorism Framework (AU-CTF) and Regional Security Complexes (RSC). Third, the book sheds light on the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency (CT-COIN) structures and mechanisms established by specific African states to contain, degrade, and eliminate terrorism, insurgency, and organised violence on the continent, particularly the successes, constraints, and challenges of the emerging CT-COIN mechanisms. Finally, the volume highlights the entry of non-state actors – such as civil society, volunteer groups, private security companies, and defence contractors – into the theatre of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency in Africa through volunteerism, community support for state-led CT-COIN Operations, and civil-military cooperation (CIMIC). This book will be of use to students and scholars of security studies, African studies, international relations, and terrorism studies, and to practitioners of development, defence, security, and strategy.

As a direct result of globalization and expanded economic opportunity, the last half century has yielded the most remarkable exodus from poverty in human history. Regrettably, not all have benefitted equally. No more somber example of this continued disparity can be found than in sub-Saharan Africa -- a region plagued by a myriad of security and development challenges, from the spread of infectious disease, to small arms trafficking, to terrorism. This report hones in on the Eastern Africa subregion and proposes a ¿whole of society¿ approach that seeks to better leverage existing resources, identify new streams of assistance, and bridge the divide between security and development. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.

In FY 2005, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) was established to eliminate terrorist safe havens in northwest Africa by strengthening countries¿ counter-terrorism capabilities and inhibiting the spread of extremist ideology. Funds obligated for TSCTP in FY 2005 through 2007 and committed for FY 2008 by the Dept. of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the DoD have amounted to about $353 million for activities in 9 partner countries. This report examines: (1) the distribution of funds for TSCTP and the types of activities supported; and (2) the program¿s implementation, including the extent to which it is guided by a comprehensive, integrated strategy. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

This book critically explores the emerging architecture of regional security in Africa with particular reference to counterterrorism and counterinsurgency in the Lake Chad Basin Region. In New Architecture of Regional Security in Africa, the contributors--scholars, policy-makers, and defense/security practitioners from both within and outside Africa--examine the evolution, dynamics, and working mechanisms for peace and security or emerging regional security architecture for regional security in the region. The volume will be essential reading for all academics, scholars, and researchers in academia and NGOs with interests in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism related issues in the Lake Chad Basin region. Additionally, the volume will also be useful for students of counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, small wars, terrorism and strategic studies, and defense and security studies. It will also provide invaluable reference material for policy practitioners working on the activities in the contemporary operating environment within the Lake Chad Basin region. This book offers innovative perspectives on the emerging architecture for regional security in Africa, with a focus on how member states of the Lake Chad Basin Commission are coping with the challenges of terrorism and insurgency. Edited by Usman A. Tar and Bashir Bala, the volume is the first to critically document regional security in the Lake Chad Basin.

Abject poverty and official corruption make parts of Africa a very attractive destination for terrorist organizations. Opportunities have developed during the pre- and post-9/11 periods in Africa for the recruitment of terrorists, attainment of bases of operations and sources of funding for Al Qaeda or its affiliated terror groups. This comprehensive volume provides an extensive examination of major terrorist events in Africa. It highlights internal and external indices to illustrate why Africa is so ripe for terrorism, ostensibly in terms of recruitment as well as attainment and sources of funding due to the continent's continuing poverty and corruption. The volume will prove indispensable reading for anyone researching security issues, political sociology and African studies.

Terrorist groups operating in Sub-Saharan Africa failed states have demonstrated the ability to avoid the scrutiny of Western counterterrorism officials, while supporting and facilitating terrorist attacks on the United States and its partners. The potential acquisition of nuclear weapons by terrorists makes terrorist groups operating from failed states especially dangerous. U.S. counterterrorism strategies largely have been unsuccessful in addressing this threat. A new strategy is called for, one that combines both military and law enforcement efforts in a fully integrated counterterrorism effort, supported by a synthesis of foreign intelligence capabilities with intelligence-led policing to identify, locate, and take into custody terrorists operating from failed states before they are able to launch potentially catastrophic attacks.

The study, Terrorism in Africa: The Evolving Front in the War on Terrorism, represents a research endeavor aimed at increasing scholarly discourse on the ever-expanding threat of terrorism and terrorist-related violence in the region. It offers the most wide-ranging analysis of the sub-national and transnational terrorists groups that have made Africa the second most violent region in the world. Additionally, the study expands the coverage of the multiple dynamics that indicate why terrorist-related violence continues to increase in the region and closes with regional solutions to the threat of terrorism. This collection of essays offers a comprehensive analysis of the states, terrorist groups, and critical issues that have increased the specter of terrorism in Africa. The study is divided into three themes: (1) the diversity of the terrorist threat among states in the region, (2) the regional dynamics and the local response to terrorism, and (3) regional solutions to the threat of terrorism in Africa.