Community-oriented policing is the missing link in AU counter-terrorism operations

Since 2018, Africa has been the global epicentre of violent extremism, with devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of millions, especially civilians. More than 23,000 people died at the hands of terrorists in Africa in 2023, up 20% from 2022. 

Half of the world’s 16 top countries affected by violent extremism are in Africa, according to the Global Terrorism Index. These include Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique. And in 2023, the United Nations (UN) warned that terrorism was spreading further across Africa. 

Despite national, regional and continental efforts to tackle terrorism, as well as various UN peace missions, the crisis is deepening. African organisations, including the African Union (AU) and regional economic communities, should revisit their approaches and find the right means to address the problem.

Could community-oriented policing work? It has been used successfully worldwide to reduce civilians’ fears of security threats, prevent crime and improve public safety. It’s particularly effective in preventing and countering radicalisation at a local level. 

The approach encompasses five key elements: problem solving, partnership, service delivery, empowerment and accountability. These help the police build trusting relations with local civilians by regularly engaging with residents, community groups, business owners and other stakeholders. 

Residents are best placed to recognise suspicious activities in their areas – including those associated with radicalisation and extremism. Established partnerships with communities allow the police to act proactively, solve crime and violence problems, and build local resilience to extremism. 

However, community-oriented policing has been underused in Africa as a counterterrorism response. Most regional and continental interventions have relied on military measures. The AU has authorised more than 25 peace support operations across Africa in the past 20-plus years to help resolve conflicts and curb violent extremism – but only a few have included a small policing element. 

Since 2007, the AU’s largest mission has been in Somalia. Amisom, now called the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), has focused on degrading the violent extremist group al-Shabaab and building local and national capacity for peacebuilding. In the Lake Chad Basin area, the AU’s Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) was deployed in 2014 to fight Boko Haram. And the G5 Sahel Joint Force was formed in 2017 to deal with various terror groups and organised crime in the Sahel. 

Of these missions, only that in Somalia has included police elements – with limited capability. Both the MNJTF and G5 Sahel Joint Force were purely military operations. 

Most terror groups targeted by these missions are linked to radical Islamist ideology and focus on mobilising support and recruiting from Africa’s large young population. They use force, but also appeal to those who have lost faith in their governments due to poor service delivery or violence meted out by security forces. A US Institute of Peace study found that Boko Haram was able to radicalise young people disaffected by their governments’ harsh tactics and excessive use of force. 

While military operations are important for weakening terrorists’ military capabilities, community-oriented policing is essential to building peace by winning the hearts and minds of local communities.