Who benefits from the "war on terror"? African Union summit. Flickr/Embassy of Equatorial Guinea. Some rights reserved.Global freedom is declining, at least according to the Washington-based NGO Freedom House, and two key issues are contributing to this trend: the rise of violent acts by terrorism groups and increasingly aggressive counter-measures by governments. Around the world, governmental abuse in the name of the 'war on terror' is being witnessed, from the Patriot Act in the United States to Russia’s wars in the Caucasus. 'Terrorism', however, does not originate in a vacuum and reducing it to simple ideological zeal overshadows the fact that terrorist groups feed on pre-existing domestic realities that affect the average citizen, such as unemployment, poor social services, and alienation from political processes.
In Africa, the combination of ineffective government, domestic inequalities, and outright oppression contributes to and facilitates the grounds in which terrorism flourishes. The rise of brutal groups such as Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram has been a major setback for many budding democracies, as rulers have increasingly put aside the rule of law and human rights in the name of upholding 'security'. As African governments 'fight terror', democratic institutions are weakened, elections and constitutions become empty shells and the state becomes increasingly brutal towards the citizens it is meant to serve.
Capitalising on terror
Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, yet many African heads of state are over 70 years old. The new African Union Chairman, Robert Mugabe, is turning 91 this year and has been at the helm of Zimbabwe for 35 years, meaning that most Africans have only known one Zimbabwean president. Africa’s rapid economic growth in the last decade combined with a young population has led many analysts to believe that the continent has finally reached a turning point. But when it comes to politics, African 'strongmen' continue to tighten their grip on power, even if their justifications to remain in office have changed.
