The Role Of Border Communities In Counter Terrorism In Africa
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Border communities’ participation in
counter terrorism in Africa with Kenya as a case study. Little or no research had been done
on the role of communities living along national borders with respect to terrorism and
counter terrorism; hence the study aimed at addressing the existing knowledge gap in this
area. The research adopted the liberal theory in explaining the responsibility of state and
non-state actors in terrorism and counterterrorism. The study was guided on the basis that
the strategies adopted by government in countering terrorism are inadequate and cannot
effectively prevent terrorism without the involvement of border communities who are
rarely involved in counterterrorism initiatives by security agencies. These basic
assumptions were confirmed by the outcome of the study that indicated that counter
terrorism measures were not very effective. The study used mixed method to gather and
analyse the secondary data from library, journals, books and the primary data from field
interviews with experts. Data was then analysed using both statistical and non-empirical
methods.
From the research, it was deduced that counterterrorism measures initiated by the
government are mostly community targeted rather than community focussed as such
communities are alienated leading to suspicion and mistrust between security agencies and
border communities. The study also established that effective implementation of counter
terrorism measures was hampered by corruption among security agencies, lack of resources,
marginalization and youth unemployment among others. The research further established
that despite the involvement of border communities through initiatives such as nyumba
kumi counter terrorism measures were not very effective.
The study therefore recommends to the academia the need to conduct a comparative study
on counter terrorism between bordering countries. To the policy makers and in particular
the National Counter Terrorism Centre, the study recommends a continuous sensitization
of border communities including all border agencies on counter terrorism and adoption of
counter terrorism measures that involve input of border communities as a way of creating
partnership between the government and Communities.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Subject
Terrorism In AfricaRights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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