A changing context

Despite the significant resilience shown by local communities across the continent, the multi-faceted impact and rapid spread of violent extremism in sub-Saharan Africa now risks reversing hard-won development gains and stunting development prospects for generations to come. Five years after publication of the first Journey to Extremism report, the situation in many parts of the region has deteriorated further, transforming sub-Saharan Africa into a new global epicentre of violent extremism. To place the detailed empirical evidence that follows in a broader context, this scene-setting chapter assesses key trends. It focuses first on the upsurge in violent extremist groups and activity in Africa over recent years and then reviews the responses to violent extremism in Africa, including both securitized measures and allocation of international development assistance.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions