Our work
East and Southern Africa
East and Southern African countries face a diverse range of threats related to extremism and violent extremism, influenced by transnational challenges in the region. At the community, country, region, and global level, African partners are vital contributors to international efforts to counter extremism, violent extremism, and terrorism, and supporting local partners in implementing effective prevention and response strategies remains critical.
Extremism, violent extremism, and terrorism are driven by different ethnic, economic, and political issues, which manifest differently across the unique individual landscapes of countries in the region. Ideologically motivated extremist and violent extremist groups remain the primary actors in the threat landscape, as they continue to evolve their recruitment strategies, capitalizing on social media platforms to attract younger followers and expand reach, while continuing to target local communities, exploit religious narratives, and fuel anti-government grievances.
Our work focuses on supporting governments in disrupting recruitment and radicalization by extremist and violent extremist groups within the region. We empower national authorities, civil society organizations, interfaith groups, and grassroots actors, while supporting the development and implementation of effective policies, strategies, and national action plans to prevent and counter extremism and violent extremism. We remain committed to research that informs local interventions and addresses both push and pull factors contributing to radicalization.
