Volume 9 . Number 1 . June 2020 ACSRT Publisher’s contact details: African Journal on Terrorism Volume • Number 1 • +VOe A JOURNAL OF THE AFRICAN CENTRE FOR THE STUDY AND RESEARCH ON TERRORISM ii A Journal of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism Editor in Chief Prof. Isaac Olawale Albert - Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Managing Editor .S*ESJTT.PVOJS-BMMBMJ"DUJOH%JSFDUPS"GSJDBO$FOUSFGPSUIF4UVEZBOE 3FTFBSDIPO5FSSPSJTN "$435 "MHFSJB Journal Manager Mr. Moise Lazare Emery Leckiby - African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), Algeria Editorial Board Members Prof. Hussein Solomon - University of free State, South Africa Prof. Cyril Musila - Centre of Security Studies, Democratic Republic of Congo Prof. Nicodemus Fru Awasom - University of Swaziland, Swaziland Prof. Henry Kam Kah - University of Buea, Cameroon Amb. Prof. Joram M. Biswaro - African Union SRCC/ Head of AU Mission in South Sudan Prof. Sariette Batibonak - University of Yaounde II, Cameroon. Dr. C. Nna-Emeka Okereke - Nigeria Defense College, Nigeria Dr. Fiifi Edu-Afful - Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana Dr. Abdoulaye Maiga - Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) Dr. Rania Hussein Khafaga - Cairo University, Egypt Dr. Mohammed Salaj Djemal - Guelma University, Algeria Dr. Mustafa Yusuf Ali - HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, Kenya Editorial Advisory Board Members iii Editorial Advisory Board Members Prof. Lisa Schirch - Eastern Mennonite University, Virginia, USA Prof. Saïbou Issa - University of Maroua, Cameroon Prof. Ugur Gungor - Baskent University, Ankara-Turkey Assist. Prof. Anita Peresin - National Security Council, Croatia Dr. Festus Kofi Aubyn - Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping T raining Centre, Ghana Dr. John Karlsrud - Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway Dr. Jakkie Cilliers - Institute for Security Studies, South Africa Dr. Frimpong Twum - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Dr. Freedom C.C. Onuoha - University of Nigeria, Nigeria Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Emmanuel Kotia - Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ghana Mr. Abdelkader Abderrahmane - International Consultant on Security Issues in Sahel, France Col. Christian Emmanuel Mouaya Pouyi - African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism, Algeria Mr. Inusah Ziblim - African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, Algeria Ms. Mauna #BHXBTJ - African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, Algeria. .S)VTTBJO6TNBO"GSJDBO$FOUSFGPSUIF4UVEZBOE3FTFBSDIPO5FSSPSJTN "MHFSJB .S3JDIBSE"QBV"EKVODU3FTFBSDI'FMMPX $ZCFS4FDVSJUZ )VNBO4FDVSJUZ3FTFBSDI $FOUSF (IBOB ,QIRUPDWLRQ)RU&RQWULEXWRUV Contributions African journal on Terrorism is a continental, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal. The journal seeks to publish quality grounded research on all aspects of terrorism, counter-terrorism and violent extremism. The journal seeks to provide a platform that encourages critical analysis and sustained reflection of terrorism and violent extremism on the continent. Procedures All submitted manuscripts are subject to an initial blind peer-review by the Editors, and, if found suitable for further consideration, to a second peer-review by at least two independent, anonymous expert referees.The Editor In Chief and Editors review the comments from reviewers, and where appropriate communicate them directly to the author. The Editors will inform the author if the original or revised paper has been accepted for publication in the journal. Length and Format Authors submitting papers for the consideration of the journal should limit their works to between 5000 and 6000 words, including references, text, all tables and figures. They are encouraged to support their arguments with relevant statistics, pictures and graphical illustrations. The preferred referencing format of the journal is the electronically generated endnotes. The referencing style however, is the Harvard referencing style. Abstract should not exceed 300 words with at least five keywords. &EJUPSJBM$PNNFOU W (GLWRULDO&RPPHQW The Board of this Journal met in Algiers in July 2019 where a number of reform policies were put in place. One of the resolutions was to get the editions out timeously and in high impact- making qualities. Unfortunately, COVID-19 makes it difficult for the board to physically meet since then. This notwithstanding we have succeeded in getting the present volume of the journal out. As usual, it addresses the rest of the African continent on the emerging issues on terrorism and their management. This feat requires us to specially thank our board members, committed paper reviewers, and the dedicated staff members of the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) for keeping faith with the African Union’s commitment to ridding Africa of all forms of violent extremism and terrorism. The main lesson of the deaths, social and economic losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic is that our understanding of security threats in Africa must continue to be broadened. The new issue now is “health issues”; it must be treated more actionably than we have ever done. In this respect, the African Journal on Terrorism would like to use this forum to announce its interest to do a special edition on the security impact of the pandemic. The Journal awaits the indication of interest by anybody willing to serve as our Guest Editor in this respect. He/she is assured of our support to get quality papers across the continent. As the rest of the continent locks down due to the pandemic, ACSRT monitors the responses of African states to the deadly situations. The efforts the countries put into managing the deadly disease further reinforces our belief in the mantra of “African solutions to African problems”. We need similar energies for fighting against terrorism and violent extremism in the continent. The pandemic kills and works against the agenda of sustainable development in Africa as terrorism and violent extremism does. In considering these issues, ACSRT is particularlychallenged by the African Union’s 2020 theme of “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”. What COVID-19 has shown is that the AU has more than the human factors to contend with in realizing this dream. Issues relating to health security must now be appropriately captured in our response mechanisms. It is not an issue to be left to those in the medical sciences alone; it is a frontline human security problem that should be of interest to all and sundry. Those fighting violent extremism and terrorism must also draw some cursory lessons from the battle against COVID-19. For us at the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) our aspirations for the year 2020 have been slowed down by the pandemic. Amongst other things, this edition of our journal has had to be produced under very challenging situations. But we are here at last on the account of our commitment to remaining a centre of excellence for promoting knowledge on issues relating to the prevention and management of terrorism in Africa. We cannot but be on top of the challenging situations given the fact that terrorism and violent extremismhave continued to emerge as major security challenges in Africa. The situation poses threats to our political leaderships, social and economic lives. Even in this period of COVID-19 violent extremist groups have continued to strike across the continent: taking human lives and destroying invaluable state and private assets. ISIS appears presently to be on the retreat in the Middle East following intensified international actions which has resulted in the killing of several of its top leaders and fighters including its leader Abubakar Al-Baghdadi as well as the degrading of its assets in Iraq and Syria. However, the group’s affiliates still havethe capacity to unleash terrorist chaosin various parts of the African continent. This is compounded by the possible return of an estimated 6,000 African fighters that joined ISIS in Iraq and Syria. As the scourge of terrorism persists across the globe and Africa in particular, there exist continuous efforts in the areas of policy and research to addressing the threat. However, despite the sustained investments of African countries at national, regional and continental levels to eradicate terrorism from the continent, Africa has remained vulnerable to terrorist aggressions. New terrorist groups have often emerged exploiting gaps in security-development nexus and sometimes contradictory socio-economic and political processes prevalent across the continent to sustain the terrorism enterprise with its attendant consequences. The challenge of exorcising terrorism from Africa has therefore become a continuous engagement for states, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the African Union. In addressing all of these issues, the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) is committed to its role as the leading African Union institution and Centre of Excellence for research and training that foster counterterrorism cooperation in the continent. The African Journal on Terrorism is the flagship journal through which the ACSRT publishes research from various experts and scholars working on the challenge of terrorism in Africa. This edition, the first of 2020, covers a wide range of subjects relating to the nature and dynamics of the challenge of terrorism in Africa. Our expectation is that it would inform and guide policy