Jihadism in Africa

The transnational terrorism of the twenty-first century feeds on local and regional conflicts, without which most terrorist groups would never have appeared in the first place. That is the case in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Syria and Iraq, as well as in North and West Africa and the Horn of Africa. Groups like al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and al-Qaeda in Somalia, Nigeria and Algeria operate within and profit from local conflicts. Anyone wishing to understand (and counteract) such forces must delve into the specific circumstances within these countries, as well as others such as Mali and the Sahel region. The effects of the multitude of personal ties, recruiting networks and ideological influences connecting jihadist movements are felt across countries, regions and even continents. Yet understanding the specific conditions on the ground remains key to analysing events currently playing out in the so-called African arc of instability that runs from East Africa to Mauritania and extends as far north as Tunisia and south to northern Nigeria.

Table of Contents

Problems and Recommendations
p.5-6

Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber
Jihadism in Africa: An Introduction
p.7-12

Annette Weber
Al-Shabaab: Youth without God
p.13-29

Wolfram Lacher
Libya: A Jihadist Growth Market
p.31-50

Isabelle Werenfels
Going “Glocal”: Jihadism in Algeria and Tunisia
p.51-67

Wolfram Lacher and Guido Steinberg
Spreading Local Roots: AQIM and Its Offshoots in the Sahara
p.69-83

Moritz Hütte, Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber
Boko Haram: Threat to Nigeria and Its Northern Neighbours
p.85-98

Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber
Conclusions and Recommendations
p.99-102

Appendix

• Abbreviations, p.103
• The Authors, p.104