Preventing extremism in the Horn of Africa

This report presents preliminary findings from research into 42 preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) projects implemented by 32 organisations across Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. It examines project design, funding, evaluation methods, and implementation challenges to promote evidence-based approaches to addressing terrorism in the Horn of Africa.

• P/CVE projects in the Horn of Africa primarily target youth and women, with youth viewed as the primary at-risk group and women as a marginalised group requiring inclusion in peacebuilding processes.
• Poverty and a lack of economic opportunities are identified as drivers of violent extremism across Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda, making livelihoods and economics integral to project success.
• Project objectives vary by country: in Somalia, the focus is on building understanding between religious and ethnic groups to address inter-clan conflict; in Kenya, the emphasis is on building trust and cooperation between communities and government agencies.
• Funding for P/CVE projects in the region is largely provided by international governments, with 75% of projects funded for two or more years and 14% for five years or more. The largest proportion of projects (38%) receive between US$100,000 and US$499,999.
• Implementation challenges include insecurity, lack of government support, and hostility. In one country, the government's denial or lack of understanding of the threat of violent extremism severely hindered project implementation.
• Evaluation of P/CVE projects is increasingly formalised, with over half of the studied projects employing specialised monitoring and evaluation (M&E) staff and utilizing outcome indicators.

APA

Reva, D., Frank, C., & van Zyl, I. (2018). Preventing extremism in the Horn of Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/other-cve-east-africa.pdf

Chicago

Reva, Denys, Cheryl Frank, and Isel van Zyl. Preventing extremism in the Horn of Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/other-cve-east-africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reva |first1=Denys |last2=Frank |first2=Cheryl |last3=van Zyl |first3=Isel |title=Preventing extremism in the Horn of Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/other-cve-east-africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reva2018preventing, author = {Reva, Denys and Frank, Cheryl and van Zyl, Isel}, title = {{Preventing extremism in the Horn of Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/other-cve-east-africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }