Fleeing terror, fighting terror: The truth about refugees and violent extremism

The report finds that the threat of violent extremism among South Sudanese and Somalian refugees in Ethiopia is low, as refugees often possess a genuine disdain for the extremists who caused their displacement. While Ethiopia has effectively managed camp security through a collaborative approach involving refugees, the document warns that chronic underfunding and a lack of livelihood opportunities for youth create fertile ground for future radicalisation. It argues against the narrative that refugees are inherent security risks, suggesting instead that robust asylum processes and integration policies, such as Ethiopia's Nine Pledges, are the most effective ways to ensure security.

• The overall threat of violent extremism among Somalian and South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia is low, with Somalian refugees specifically expressing a strong desire to cooperate against extremists who caused their displacement.
• Somalian refugees in Ethiopia actively contribute to camp security by identifying and reporting suspicious activities, driven by a shared disdain for the groups they fled.
• While violent extremism is not a prominent threat among South Sudanese refugees, there are concerns regarding covert political organising and strong anti-Dinka sentiments that could lead to future violence.
• Chronic underfunding of refugee appeals for South Sudan and Somalia—which ranked as the two most underfunded situations globally in October 2017—creates dire living conditions that may increase the risk of radicalisation.
• A critical vulnerability for youth in both refugee populations is the lack of gainful employment and livelihood opportunities, which leads to boredom, frustration, and a higher risk of illegal onward migration.
• Ethiopia has adopted a progressive approach to refugee management through the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and Nine Pledges, aiming to integrate refugees into communities and close all 27 camps within 10 years.
• Relations between Somalian refugees and host communities in the Jijiga region are generally harmonious due to shared ethnicity, religion, and the long-term presence of the refugee population.
• In the Gambella region, tensions exist between the Anywaa and Nuer populations, with Anywaa groups claiming that Nuer refugee inflows are used to boost political power in the region.
• The report argues that the common political narrative treating refugees as security risks is statistically unfounded and that robust asylum processes are actually a tool for enhancing security.

APA

Mbiyozo, A.-N. (2018). Fleeing terror, fighting terror: The truth about refugees and violent extremism. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear17-1.pdf

Chicago

Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël. Fleeing terror, fighting terror: The truth about refugees and violent extremism. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear17-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mbiyozo |first1=Aimée-Noël |title=Fleeing terror, fighting terror: The truth about refugees and violent extremism |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=January 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear17-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mbiyozo2018fleeing, author = {Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël}, title = {{Fleeing terror, fighting terror: The truth about refugees and violent extremism}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear17-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }