A decade of kidnappings and terrorism in West Africa and the Trans-Sahel region

摘要

The scourge of international terrorism has been widespread, sparing no region in Africa. International terrorism here refers to violent acts of intimidation that involve more than one country in either the context of victims or perpetrators. This definition is not concerned with the political context, reasons or milieu in which the acts are committed. Although the dynamics and frequency of international terrorist acts differ with each region, however, in the age of globalisation this threat cannot be taken lightly as terrorist networks seize every opportunity to attach soft targets. In West Africa, three key factors have influenced the commission of international terrorist acts in the last decade. These include the conflict in Sierra Leone, where the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) invariably used gruesome terror tactics against foreigners; conflict in the Niger Delta, where militants employ terror tactics including acts of sabotage against foreigners and their interests; and the Trans-Sahel region, where the Selafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), renamed Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), is vying for control to create a corridor for transnational organised criminal networks. The purpose of this article is to list some of the significant international terrorist acts that have occurred in West Africa in the last decade.