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.