Terrorism Trends in Africa - Implications for Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area

Abstract

This article establishes the trends in terrorism, the incidents of attacks and threats, and the places of dominance and countries at risk in  Africa. Extant literature indicates weak governance structure and poverty as being the drivers of terrorism in Africa. This study found that between 2014 and 2019, the African continent had a significant share (45,5 per cent) of the countries most impacted by terrorism incidents compared to the other five continents, that is, 54,48 per cent altogether. This indicates that the continent experienced more incidents, fatalities, injuries and property damage compared to the rest of the continents. These statistics cast a dark shadow on the African  continent’s long-awaited African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is expected to stimulate sustainable economic development. The study concludes that the increasing incidents of terrorism are likely to affect investor confidence, increase the already high cost of doing business, and lead to more stringent cross-border security checks, which are impediments to the AfCFTA’s programmes for skills transfer, manpower development and innovation.