ABSTRACT
African states have most prone to mass terrorism because of their weakness. In the twentieth century, the Islamic religion gained more converts in Africa than has Christianity, which continue to labour under the burden of identification with European imperialism. Colonialism brought about the establishment of rigid territorial and regional boundaries which cut across existing political, social, ethnic and religious borders. The consciousness of nationhood is a legacy of colonialism in many African societies. This chapter discusses the roles played by nationality, the nation-state, and identity in contemporary African culture, one needs to think beyond the nation. The permissive African environment will continue to be a breeding ground for transnational terrorism and a threat to world peace with the state in Africa playing the role of conveyor-belt. Sierra Leone represents a disturbing trend in West Africa—the failing state. Mineral resources are now linked to the suffering of thousands of Africans, and now perhaps to the deaths of thousands of Americans.
