VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND TERRORISM IN 21st CENTURY THE CASE OF AL-SHABAAB AND BOKO HARAM

Abstract

The world today faces numerous security challenges and United Nations has listed violent extremism and terrorism among the leading security concerns of the 21st Century. Questions arise on how violent extremism and terrorism has evolved over the years and what is making them a persistence threat to global peace and security. New media play a critical role when it comes to enhancing the terrorist agenda of recruiting new members, spreading fear, propaganda, financing, training and radicalization. This study has examined the various trends or developments in violent extremism and terrorism in the 21sl century including use of lEDs, lone wolf terrorism, extensive use of social media by terrorist organizations and women involvement in terrorism. A number of the challenges that arise from trying to counter this global threat of terror has been analyzed with poor governance, increasing radicalization through new media, ideology narrative and wrong intervention methods in dealing with extremism, being identified as the drivers of terrorism in Africa. A case study of Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram has been considered because the terror groups remain a security threat to Kenya, Nigeria and their neighbors in the sub-Saharan region. Numerous efforts taken to address terrorism are insufficient since terrorism is still on an upsurge especially in Africa being highly propagated by religious fanaticism and radicalization.