Managing exits from violent extremist groups: lessons from the Lake Chad Basin

West African countries can benefit from lessons on incentivising defections, gender sensitivity and community inclusion.

Some Lake Chad Basin countries (Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria) have been dealing with violent extremism for over a decade. Disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, reintegration and resettlement processes in these countries may offer useful lessons for other West African contexts, including Mali and Burkina Faso, or more recently affected countries such as Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo. Such lessons include incentivising defections, coordinating at national and regional levels, gender sensitivity, appropriate legal frameworks and community engagement.

About the authors

Remadji Hoinathy is a Senior Researcher on Central Africa and the Great Lakes Region at the ISS.

Malik Samuel is a Researcher in the Lake Chad Basin Project at the ISS.

Akinola Olojo is Project Manager, ISS Regional Office for West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.

Image: © Amelia Broodryk/ISS