ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzed the phenomenon of violent religious extremism in Africa by looking at the issues that shaped the internal ideological differences among extremist groups in diverse contexts and the institutional responses of the African states to violent religious extremism. It shows that violent religious extremism has become endemic in Africa, complicated by the connection with global Jihadists’ network, weak state institutions and the increasing level of collaboration with other criminal syndicates. Violent religious extremist groups proliferated from North Africa to other sub-regions in Africa with the primary goals of reformation of the state, politics and religion in line with pure Islamic doctrines. The chapter showed that violent religious extremism constitutes one of the major security challenges confronting many African states. The weak institutions in many African states provide an enabling environment for violent religious extremism, and make makes it difficult for these states to take advantage of the internal ruptures within these movements in their counter-extremism initiatives.
