Source: Africa: Terrorism in Africa, a ‘Growing Global Threat’ – allAfrica.com
Terrorism-related violence is expanding across Eastern Africa and the Sahel region, with over 19% of terrorist attacks and over half of terrorist-related casualties worldwide occurring within that region of Sub Saharan Africa alone. This increasing threat is grabbing the attention of many international actors, such as the United Nations. Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, is calling for more global aid to the developing crisis through a unified regional strategy that includes increased funding, and addressing the root causes of violence such as poverty and structural inequalities. As of yet, only 25% of promised aid has been fulfilled. Consequently, the civilians of the region are crying out for help. With over 4 million civilians displaced in Mali, Niger and other neighboring states, the increase in terrorist activity is directly impacting worsening humanitarian conditions. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWA), is providing efforts at regional security and safety by deploying standby troops. Leaders of member states of the Economic Community of West African States are stressing the importance of cooperative effort, democratic trust and commitment to the issue. However, more funding is needed to effectively eliminate the organized terrorist groups in the region, a monetary effort that most of Sub-Saharan Africa is unable to afford.
Through this ongoing global issue, the concept of power, legitimacy and security is at play. Terrorist groups act as non-state actors, taking power from governments through destabilization and occupations of territory. Governments in Sub Saharan Africa tend to be corrupt with weak institutions, leaving ample conditions for organized terrorist groups to exploit this, presenting themselves as an alternative form of government. The cross-border nature of this issue expanding across the Sahel region as well as international interference raises questions on sovereignty and what conditions give international actors justification to intervene. With a mix of hard and soft power, we can see the United Nations and The Economic Community of West African States emphasizing cooperation and deploying troops in an effort to reinstate state and institutional power in the area. Through this, a balance between hard and soft power is critical to be effective without prompting more violence.