Government Instability and Terrorism in Africa

Using African case studies, this volume examines how the threat of terrorism has been exacerbated by governance deficits like corruption and weak institutional frameworks that undermine the government’s ability to manage security in Africa.

Situated at the crossroads of security studies, political science and development, this book seamlessly shows the nexus connecting the dynamics of arms proliferation, weak institutional frameworks, and violent non-state actors as catalysts of violence in Africa’s ungoverned spaces. It offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary perspective on triggers of terrorism such as proliferation of small arms and light weapons, the spread of violent extremist ideologies, poverty, unemployment and other social conflict-drivers like illiteracy and corruption. The book argues that governance deficits create security vacuums that contribute to terrorism and regional conflict.

The volume begins by providing context-specific analysis on contemporary realities of terrorism and their impacts on the continent. It further examines specific case studies in West Africa and the Sahel with particular emphasis on Boko Haram. Latter chapters interrogate banditry, the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, which many of the works argue is fundamental to driving the violence in the African region, and counterterrorism efforts across the region. The book culminates its argument by unpacking the relationship between governance and terrorism, offering a comprehensive analysis of the problems and potential solutions.

Stanley Osezua Ehiane is Senior Lecturer of Defense, Politics, and International Relations at the University of Botswana, Botswana, and a Research Fellow in the Department of Development Studies at the University of South Africa (UNISA), Pretoria, South Africa.

Caleb Ayuba is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, Nigeria and a Research Associate in the School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, College of Business and Economics, at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bhekithemba R. Mngomezulu is Professor of Political Science and International Relations and the Director in the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD) at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.