Security Challenges in Africa: 2021 and Beyond

Countering Violent Extremism by Refocusing on Communities

Terrorism and violent extremism are arguably Africa’s greatest security threats in 2021. Local groups with international terror links are embedded in East, West, and Southern Africa. Their activities foment local conflicts and enable organized crime rackets—destabilizing already fragile political landscapes. Meanwhile, years of government-led security force interventions, many supported by U.S. and European governments, have not dislodged the insurgents. Unless local approaches that incorporate tactics beyond kinetic counterterrorism are included in strategies to prevent violent extremism, Africa’s many national and regional efforts will fail to deliver sustainable and credible peace.

On February 24, USIP co-hosted an event with the RESOLVE Network and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) that examined the role of non-state actors and local communities in preventing the spread of violent extremism. Drawing on research from RESOLVE’s Africa portfolio and ISS’s research, leading experts offered alternative pathways for conflict resolution that account for local peacebuilding challenges—as well as considered the pivotal role of women in community-based justice, conflict resolution, and the rule of law.

Continue the conversation on Twitter with #RESOLVEForum.

Panelists:

Dr. Alastair Reed, opening remarks

Senior Expert, U.S. Institute of Peace; Executive Director, RESOLVE Network

Dr. Akinola Olojo

Senior Researcher, Lake Chad Basin Program, Institute for Security Studies

Dr. Phoebe Donnelly

Research Fellow, International Peace Institute; Member of the RESOLVE Research Advisory Council

Dr. Joseph Sany, moderator

Vice President, Africa Center, U.S. Institute of Peace

Bethany L. McGann, closing remarks

Program Officer, Program on Violent Extremism, U.S. Institute of Peace; Research and Project Manager, RESOLVE Network

For more on the 2020-21 RESOLVE Global Forum Series, follow us on Twitter at @resolvenet.

For more information on this event, please visit

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The United States Institute of Peace is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. To reduce future crises and the need for costly interventions, USIP works with governments and civil societies to help their countries solve their own problems peacefully. The Institute provides expertise, training, analysis, and support to those who are working to build a more peaceful, inclusive world.