Violent extremism has had a devastating effect on people’s lives and livelihoods across the African continent. Peace, stability and development have been compromised by violent extremists and warlords who operate seamlessly across territorial borders. Evidence suggests that the challenges posed by radicalization continue to grow. 

High profile attacks such as the abduction of 276 girls in Chibok Nigeria in April 2014, the beheading of 21 Coptic Christian migrant workers in Libya in February 2015, the murder of 147 students at Garissa University in Kenya in April 2015 and recent Boko Haram attacks in northern Cameroon are just a few examples of the atrocities committed by these radicalized groups.

Of the 13 countries that the 2014 Global Terrorism Index identifies at risk of a substantial increase in terrorism, seven are in Africa including: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Uganda1 ; similarly, countries in conflict including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Mali are expected to see increased levels of terrorism. The same study states that 17 of the 50 countries with the highest levels of terrorism are in Africa.