Preventing violent extremism in Uganda

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines community-level approaches to preventing violent extremism in Uganda, focusing on the roles of community resilience and dialogue. It argues for a shift from specific counter-terrorism programmes to broader development and governance interventions that reduce vulnerability to radicalisation.

• Uganda faces threats from three primary violent extremist groups: the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which operated in northern Uganda and neighboring countries; the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), active in western Uganda and the eastern DRC; and al-Shabaab, which carried out suicide bombings in Kampala in July 2010.
• Local communities identify socio-economic and governance issues as their primary challenges rather than radicalisation itself. These include multidimensional poverty, low literacy rates (particularly among women), limited access to religious texts, and grievances against the government and security actors.
• There are significant trust deficits between different identity groups and between communities and state authorities. Little to no trust exists between Muslims and Christians or different ethnicities, and there is a strained relationship with security agencies characterized by reports of harassment, wrongful arrests, and corruption.
• Community resilience can be strengthened by leveraging existing protective factors, such as integration among long-term residents and inter-faith collaborations on development and family matters. Strategies to build this resilience include strengthening social support networks, enhancing community resources, and improving police-community relations.
• Dialogue is hindered by a lack of structured public platforms for community interaction and a lack of trust in security and justice actors. Specific barriers include sexual harassment of women by security and judicial personnel, and the perception among young Muslim men that they are misjudged as potential terrorists.
• The report recommends that development partners move away from P/CVE-specific programmes, which can be counter-productive due to distrust, toward P/CVE-relevant programmes that address root causes like poverty and poor governance.

APA

Olojo, A., Sigsworth, R., & Kaduyu, N. M. (2020). Preventing violent extremism in Uganda. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-34.pdf

Chicago

Olojo, Akinola, Romi Sigsworth, and Nuwagaba Muhsin Kaduyu. Preventing violent extremism in Uganda. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-34.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olojo |first1=Akinola |last2=Sigsworth |first2=Romi |last3=Kaduyu |first3=Nuwagaba Muhsin |title=Preventing violent extremism in Uganda |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-34.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olojo2020preventing, author = {Olojo, Akinola and Sigsworth, Romi and Kaduyu, Nuwagaba Muhsin}, title = {{Preventing violent extremism in Uganda}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-34.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }