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Abstract:
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The study evaluated the role of counter-terrorism strategies in Africa with a focus on the role of IGAD’s Track One Diplomacy in the context of the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa and IGAD comprise of Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. The HOA has encountered myriads of complex and fast developing transnational security threats, such as inter and intra state conflicts, boundary disputes, resource conflicts, proliferation of small arms and obstinate challenges arising from terrorism. As a result of the terror attack on September 9/11, in the USA, the fight against terrorism has since been internationalized and is no longer just a domestic concern. The attacks have necessitated concerted efforts of International, regional and sub regional actors in fighting terrorism. Africa established Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to deal with economic challenges that the continent was facing. The study applied qualitative and quantitative data. The results showed that respondents agreed that socio-economic conditions such as unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and marginalization caused terrorism, political exclusion, bad governance, religious extremism and external factors such as joint war against terror and foreign military deployment influence terrorism influence terrorism in the Horn of Africa. The study concluded that unemployment; poverty, illiteracy and marginalization cause terrorism, political exclusion, bad governance, religious extremism and external factors such as joint war against terror and foreign military deployment influence terrorism in the Horn of Africa. The study also concluded strategies adopted by regional and international actor in combating terrorism and extremism in Horn of Africa though effective, need to be bottom up. |