Mitigating violent extremism in Southern Africa: time to harness the power of the youth

This policy brief highlights the need to harness the pre-existing expertise of youth groups to combat the Islamist insurgency.

Violent extremism is a leading threat to Southern Africa’s peace and security. The success of efforts to mitigate this hazard largely depends on whether regional policy- and decision-makers are able to leverage the peace-making potential of the youth demographic. As both victims and perpetrators of the insurgency in Mozambique, the youth should be afforded the opportunity to lead in silencing the guns and preventing the spread of violent extremism to other countries in the region.

About the author

Muneinazvo Kujeke joined the Institute for Security Studies in 2016 and is currently a Research Officer with the Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Programme. She is responsible for Youth, Peace and Security within the ISS/ Training for Peace Programme. She served as Southern Africa consultant for the African Union Peace and Security Council-mandated study on the roles of youth in, and their contributions to, peace and security in Africa.

This policy brief was first published by the Training for Peace Programme.

Picture: Namnso Ukpanah/Unsplash