Preventing violent extremism in Africa: Exploring new approaches and home-grown solutions

Summary

This policy brief examines the proliferation of violent extremism across Africa, which has become the global epicentre of terrorism-related deaths, with the Sahel accounting for half of all such fatalities in 2023. Drawing on field research conducted by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in Nigeria, Kenya, and Mozambique, the brief analyzes the drivers of violent extremism—including structural state challenges, marginalization, underdevelopment, human rights abuses, and local grievances—and critically evaluates both traditional and emerging responses to the threat. The brief argues that conventional security-centric approaches, including multinational counter-insurgency operations such as Barkhane, the G5 Sahel force, and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), have proven inadequate in addressing the root causes of violent extremism. While these interventions have prevented the collapse of central governments, they have failed to provide security for populations or resolve underlying governance crises. In contrast, the brief highlights innovative home-grown approaches, particularly the Borno State exit model in northern Nigeria, which combines demobilization through "cash for guns" strategies, community-based reconciliation and reintegration committees, vocational training, and transitional justice mechanisms. The brief also examines Kenya's National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism and its localized county action plans, which emphasize whole-of-society approaches involving government, civil society, religious leaders, and communities. The brief concludes that preventing violent extremism requires contextually relevant, gender-sensitive approaches developed in close collaboration with affected communities. It emphasizes the critical role of transitional justice processes—including dialogue with extremist groups, repentance, forgiveness, reparations, and memorialization—in cementing sustainable peacebuilding and healing traumatized societies. The authors recommend balancing short-term security responses with long-term development and governance reforms, investing in demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration (DDR) programs, creating dialogue platforms between communities and governments, and fashioning new social contracts within societies afflicted by violent extremism. The brief underscores that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and that effective P/CVE requires addressing both the structural and individual push and pull factors that drive recruitment while fostering inclusive, participatory, and accountable governance.

Keywords

violent extremism, Africa, Sahel, community-driven approaches, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, transitional justice

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