The African continent presents a text-book example of the devastating effects both conflict and terrorism can exert if not resolved in a timely and decisive manner. Africa continues to face a myriad of socio-economic and political malaise that has ravaged the continent for many decades. Many African countries are continuously burdened with the dismal prospects of abject poverty, marginalisation, HIV & Aids, social unrest, drought, economic collapse and the absence of legitimate governments and poor governance. To compound an already dire situation, much of the continent from North, to East, South to West has witnessed violent conflict, war, insurrection and military coups that have caused bloodshed and the loss of millions of innocent lives. From Darfur to the DRC, Uganda to Ethiopia, conflict has taken its toll.
The African continent has also provided fertile ground for the growing threat of religious extremism and the presence of international terrorist organisations, notably the threat posed by Al-Qaeda that is said to have various operatives on the ground in many of Africa’s conflict hotspots. The brutal attacks against the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania represented but an opening salvo of the terrorist threat that Africa could face in the future. North Africa too has felt the scourge of domestic terrorist groups that have carried out deadly and precision attacks against government targets and civilians alike. Many of these groups continue to operate with impunity as the war against international terrorism continues. Africa may well become the next front in the wider war pitting terrorists against governments who increasingly appear ill-prepared to comprehensively root out terrorist cells.
Therefore the Conflict and Terrorism Unit, situated on the African continent will seek to not only highlight the incidences of international terrorism and conflict on the African continent, but will also seek to assess, analyse and understand the nature of conflict and terrorism on the African continent in order to provide timely, accurate and comprehensive feedback to key role players, the business community, policymakers, analysts and academics situated across the globe, based on analysis and commentary from an African perspective.
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Many parts of the African continent remain engulfed in violence and instability, issues which have led to the severe disruption of the normal functioning of political, social, commercial and economic activity. In addition, the human displacement of millions has been brutal as has been the destruction of large parts of many key cities and pivotal infrastructure.
Terrorism has also become an increasing reality in Africa. The continent continues to provide fertile ground for terrorist organisations through vast, porous borders, political instability, the relative ease with which financial support is secured and vulnerable targets. |
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All of these have provided terrorist organisations with ample opportunity to inflict grave human and commercial destruction on the continent. The embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 highlighted the growing danger that international terrorism poses to the Africa and the continued plethora of social and economic malaise has led to a massive increase of terrorist-related activities, particularly in the North African region.
Consultancy Africa Intelligence’s Africa Conflict & Terrorism Monitor is designed to provide a monthly overview of conflict and terrorism situations on the African continent. Dealing with established as well as emerging issues in the two areas, the publication is crucial in tracking country and regional changes that may affect business, policy and humanitarian issues in Africa.
Subscribe today to the Consultancy Africa Intelligence (CAI) Newsletter, a free publication delivered direct to your inbox at the beginning of each month. This publication brings together topical discussions from the wide range of CAI product offerings, and is an ideal way to remain up to date, and well informed on all issues related to Africa. The Conflict and Terrorism” element of the CAI Newsletter is a fact-filled and informative source of opinions and relevant issues surrounding terrorism and conflict in Africa.
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