Counter-terrorism, human rights and the rule of law in West Africa

The report examines how West African nations, particularly Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria, have prioritised military and securitised responses to terrorism over rule-of-law frameworks. This shift has led to widespread human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention, often facilitated by emergency legislation and a lack of judicial oversight. The author argues that such approaches may fuel further radicalisation and recommends long-term criminal justice reform, the strengthening of civilian oversight, and the alignment of counter-terrorism efforts with international human rights standards to achieve sustainable peace and development.

• West African countries facing the highest terrorism threats—Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria—have predominantly adopted a securitised approach to counter-terrorism, which has undermined the rule of law and human rights protections.
• Securitised responses have led to the implementation of legislation that normalises emergency measures, including extended pre-trial detention and the use of military tribunals for civilians.
• State security forces in the region have been accused of severe human rights abuses, including extrajudicial executions, torture, and enforced disappearances, often with widespread impunity.
• The use of force and securitised measures can create a vicious cycle where state violence contributes to the radicalisation of local communities.
• Criminal justice systems in West Africa are fragile and struggle with endemic corruption, lack of resources, and political interference, making them unable to effectively handle the complexity of terrorism cases.
• While specialised counter-terrorism units are recommended globally, in West Africa they risk creating a 'parallel' system that diverts resources from and weakens the ordinary civilian judiciary.
• A sustainable solution requires a tripartite approach that links counter-terrorism objectives with the rule of law, human rights, and the broader development agenda.

APA

Sigsworth, R. (2019). Counter-terrorism, human rights and the rule of law in West Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-24.pdf

Chicago

Sigsworth, Romi. Counter-terrorism, human rights and the rule of law in West Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2019. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-24.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sigsworth |first1=Romi |title=Counter-terrorism, human rights and the rule of law in West Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=April 2019 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-24.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sigsworth2019counterterrorism, author = {Sigsworth, Romi}, title = {{Counter-terrorism, human rights and the rule of law in West Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-24.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }