The impact of Algerian jihadists in shaping the nature of jihad on the African continent is often understated. How the Algerian jihad emerged and came to influence issues pertaining to state-building, governance, and the implementation of Islamic fundamentalism in society in line with Al-Qaeda’s growing global movement, bares testament to the process of organisational learning….
Category: Affiliations
Child Soldiers of the Islamic State: Comparing Recruitment Efforts between Africa and the Middle East
It’s been estimated that approximately 40% of child soldiers are active on the African continent. This bears testament to the climate of post-conflict societies in many African countries simmering on the edge of reverting back into civil war, where children were exploited into participating primarily for their loyalty, physical agility, psychological malleability and low maintenance….
Is the Islamic State a Viable Threat to South Africa?
Bottom Line Up Front: South Africa has been a widely recognized safe haven and logistical base for terrorists for more than 20 years. During this period, some South Africans have been suspected and accused of having links to international terrorist organisations. It’s been assumed the South African government’s initial strategy of dealing with terrorism, particularly…
Latest Developments on Mozambique’s Ansar al-Sunna: A Deteriorating Security Situation
Editors Note: This month’s much anticipated article is by Jasmine Opperman (@Jasminechic00 on Twitter), who’s currently an analyst at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) Project. I met Jasmine about 3 years ago following her input on a report published and presented at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) on Violent Extremism in South…
Busting Myths on Global Jihadism in Nigeria
Editors Note: In the upcoming months, TAJ will be featuring contributions from analysts and scholars in the field of (counter-)terrorism research who I’ve come to learn from and highly respect. This presents a fantastic opportunity to diversify levels of engagement and participation as well as introduce unique perspectives and analyses by some of the top…
Abubakar Shekau: The Al-Qaeda-Islamic State Nexus
Over the course of my research into the nature and types of terrorist affiliations, I thought an examination on Boko Haram’s affiliations would be a worthwhile thought experiment for two reasons: firstly, I found myself asking the simple question of who Boko Haram is affiliated to, leading to the second reason which is the fact…
