On 31 August, UNDP, together with the ICCT and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised a roundtable discussion to exchange insights on the 2023 UNDP Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement Report with an audience of policymakers, researchers and practitioners.
Find more details in the Final Notes of the Roundtable Discussion.
In 2021 alone, Africa accounted for 48% of global terrorism deaths, with numbers of attacks having accelerated tenfold since 2007 in the Sahel. According to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index the Sahel accounted for more terrorism deaths in 2022 than both South Asia and MENA regions combined.
In this context, the 2023 UNDP Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement Report presents the most extensive study yet on what drives people to violent extremism. It investigates what pushes people to the brink of recruitment, the 'tipping point’ - and ultimately, the 'turning point' that informs their decision to leave these groups behind. The report unravels through an evidenced-based approach the highly localized pathways and root causes to violent extremism, making a powerful case for rethinking dominant securitized interventions through a preventative, evidence-focused and development-based approach. The human stories spotlighted in this report reiterate the need for renewed international focus, integrative solutions and long-term investments in the field.
Read the 2023 UNDP Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement Report.
