Good talk, not enough action

This policy brief examines the African Union's (AU) counter-terrorism architecture, arguing that while a comprehensive legal and normative framework exists, its effectiveness is severely undermined by poor implementation at both the state and institutional levels.

• The African Union has developed a progressive counter-terrorism framework to address the transnational nature of terrorism, which allows groups to operate across borders and evade justice. This framework includes the 1999 Algiers Convention, which established a criminal justice framework and defined terrorist acts, and a 2004 Protocol designed to provide an implementation mechanism through the Peace and Security Council (PSC).
• Implementation of the AU's counter-terrorism framework is lagging significantly. The 2004 Protocol took a decade to enter into force, and as of 2014, key states including Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Uganda had not ratified it. Furthermore, only approximately one-third of AU member states have enacted specific counter-terrorism legislation as recommended by the AU.
• State-level failure to implement AU policies is driven by a lack of resources for expensive measures like border security, varying levels of perceived threat, and a political reluctance to interfere in the internal affairs of other states or admit weakness by requesting help.
• The African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) is severely hampered by a lack of human and financial resources. By the end of 2014, it had only 16 staff members against a minimum requirement of 25, and over 98% of its activities are dependent on donor funding, which is often delivered inconsistently.
• The AU has failed to meet several of its own institutional obligations and goals. This includes the failure to establish a continental 'Passport Stop List' database of suspicious individuals and the delayed establishment of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, which would allow for the prosecution of individuals or states violating the Algiers Convention.
• The AU is criticized for not holding member states accountable for human rights violations during counter-terrorism operations. Specifically, Nigeria and Kenya have been accused of such violations despite the AU protocol's commitment to international humanitarian and human rights instruments.

APA

Allison, S. (2015). Good talk, not enough action. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief66.pdf

Chicago

Allison, Simon. Good talk, not enough action. Institute for Security Studies, 2015. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief66.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Allison |first1=Simon |title=Good talk, not enough action |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2015 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief66.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allison2015good, author = {Allison, Simon}, title = {{Good talk, not enough action}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief66.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }