Article
- +3
Frederic Wehrey, Nathan J. Brown, Bader Al-Saif, …
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"authors": [
"Anouar Boukhars"
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"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
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"Middle East"
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"regions": [
"North Africa",
"Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa"
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"topics": [
"Security"
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Source: Getty
Other
The Logic of Violence in Africa’s Extremist Insurgencies
Existing studies help explain how extremist insurgencies erupt and evolve, and why some countries are more affected than others. But there are still notable gaps in understanding the choices, tactics, and strategies of violent extremist groups.
Published on Oct 30, 2020
Source: Perspectives on Terrorism
Abstract
What factors explain the great variation in the target selection of VE groups in Africa? Some tend to focus their attacks mostly on official targets while others show a relative preference for civilians. Most, however, tend to typically change their target selection over time. This article demonstrates that the logic of violence in Africa’s fragile, conflict-prone states is driven by four factors: (1) The degree to which VE groups rely on local support to maintain the insurgency; (2) the dynamics of in-group/out-group differentiation and corresponding hostility; (3) inter-group rivalry and looming power shifts; and (4) the strategies of counterinsurgency employed by governments.
This article was originally published in Perspectives on Terrorism.
About the Author
Anouar Boukhars
Former Nonresident Fellow, Middle East Program
Boukhars was a nonresident fellow in Carnegie’s Middle East Program. He is a professor of countering violent extremism and counter-terrorism at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University.
- Islamic Authority and Arab States in a Time of Pandemic
- A Different Type of AllianceCommentary
Anouar Boukhars
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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