The dynamics of youth radicalisation in Africa

The document examines youth radicalisation in Africa as a complex phenomenon driven by a combination of 'push' and 'pull' factors. It argues that while religious ideology is often used as a justification, the actual drivers are frequently rooted in political repression, systemic corruption, socio-economic exclusion, and weakened family structures. The paper emphasizes that responses must be nuanced and evidence-based, moving beyond a 'one size fits all' approach to address specific local and structural vulnerabilities.

• Youth radicalisation is not caused by a single factor but by an interaction of 'push' elements (negative circumstances) and 'pull' elements (attractions to extremist groups), operating across individual, family, social, and macro-levels.
• Government repression and human rights abuses, including extrajudicial executions and torture, act as strong drivers of radicalisation by fostering a sense of injustice and a belief that violence is the only way to achieve goals.
• Pervasive corruption and cronyism contribute to political instability and socio-economic inequality, which extremist groups exploit by presenting themselves as forces fighting injustice.
• Economic drivers are often characterized by 'relative deprivation' and 'frustrated achievers'—educated youth who lack opportunities—rather than abject poverty alone.
• Weakened family structures, specifically the 'absent-father syndrome' and lack of parental supervision, increase youth vulnerability to recruitment by charismatic extremist leaders.
• Religious ideology often serves as a vehicle for voicing emotional or moral outrage and providing a common identity, rather than being the primary root cause of radicalisation.
• Radicalisation has a gendered dimension; while most violent extremists are male, women are increasingly involved as sympathisers, agents, and suicide bombers, often driven by a desire for agency or due to gender subordination.
• Information and communications technology (ICT) and social media platforms have evolved into primary tools for extremist groups like ISIS, al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram to propagate ideologies and recruit youth globally.
• Detention centres are identified as fertile environments for radicalisation and recruitment due to the vulnerability of inmates and the difficulty of segregating extremists.

APA

Cachalia, R. C., Salifu, U., & Ndung’u, I. (2016). The dynamics of youth radicalisation in Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper296-1.pdf

Chicago

Cachalia, Raeesah Cassim, Uyo Salifu, and Irene Ndung’u. The dynamics of youth radicalisation in Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper296-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cachalia |first1=Raeesah Cassim |last2=Salifu |first2=Uyo |last3=Ndung’u |first3=Irene |title=The dynamics of youth radicalisation in Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper296-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cachalia2016dynamics, author = {Cachalia, Raeesah Cassim and Salifu, Uyo and Ndung’u, Irene}, title = {{The dynamics of youth radicalisation in Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper296-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }