Research
- +6
Yasmine Farouk, Nathan J. Brown, Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, …
{
"authors": [
"Anouar Boukhars"
],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North Africa",
"Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa"
],
"topics": [
"Security"
]
}
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 Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention
- Islamic Authority and Arab States in a Time of PandemicArticle
- +3
Frederic Wehrey, Nathan J. Brown, Bader Al-Saif, …
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.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- What the New Democratic Congress Can (and Can’t) Do on Foreign PolicyCommentary
Democrats now have the gavel and the purse, but the executive branch still pulls the levers on the U.S. role in the world.
- +10
James M. Acton, Dan Baer, Mark Baldassare, …
- How a U.S.-Russia Standoff Ended a Decades-Old UN Mission in Western SaharaCommentary
MINURSO’s renewal by the Security Council became highly politicized. Its expiration brings concerns about renewed violence and the future of demining efforts.
Sarah Yerkes
- Energy Turmoil Puts the Gulf of Guinea Back on the MapArticle
Two decades since Washington elevated West African oil as a strategic priority, the frontier has reemerged as a promising alternative for U.S. energy security.
Judd Devermont, Gabrielle Posner
- Red Sea Mirage: Why Russia Is Still Waiting on a Military Base in SudanCommentary
Russia’s coveted Red Sea naval base has fallen victim to its erratic foreign policy.
Sergey Konyashin
- Turkey’s Four Headaches Are Also Europe’sArticle
Between stalled economic ties and a push for greater security cooperation, EU-Turkey relations remain uncertain. Ankara’s continued slide toward autocracy is the likeliest common denominator in these competing dynamics.
Marc Pierini
