EMERGING THREATS TO HUMAN SECURITY IN AFRICA

Terrorism in historical perspective: definition, types causes and effects.

By

MR. JOHN DENSEN TIKIGBOMENI

Paper Presented at the Security Training Organized by the Institute of Security Studies in collaboration with Geneva, at the African Centre for Peace and Security Training (ACPST),

Addis Ababa, 23-28, September, 2013.

INTRODUCTION

Today no other single issue has dominated the global strategic landscape as terrorism. We live in an age of international terrorism

with its increasing scope of violence. The nature and types of terrorism has became

more varied and complex and terrorism organizations even more evasive and difficult

to understand.

DEFINITION

It defines terrorism as all “Criminal acts directed against a state and intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons, or group of persons or the general public.2

3Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

OTHER DEFINITIONS

According to the United Nations report :

Terrorism is “(any action) intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants, with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act”.

4Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

26/9/2013 Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni 5

OTHER DEFINITIONS

Also, The United States Federal Statute

“Violent act or acts dangerous to human life that appear to be intended (i)to intimidate or coerce a civilian population(ii)in influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii)to effect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping”.4

6Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

OTHER DEFINITIONS Contd.

• The United Kingdoms legislation entitled: Terrorist Act 2000

• Israeli Law in its prevention of terrorism ordinance No.

• The FBI• The AU convention

7Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

ONE WIDELY ACCEPTED DEFINITION

Sees it as:

“The use of violence against random civilian targets in order to intimidate or to create generalized pervasive fear for the purpose of achieving political goals”.

8Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

ACT OF TERRORIST AS CRIME

• The act is unlawful • It involves the use of threatened use of violence

or force • That violence or force is directed against

individuals or property or society.• It is designed to coerce a government or security.• It supports political, ideological or religions

objectives.

9Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

COMMON ACTS OF TERRORISM

• Bombing.• Assassination• Kidnapping• Hostage taking• Hijacking • Skyjacking

10Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

BOMBING

11Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

ASSASINATION

12Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

KIDNAPPING

13Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

HOSTAGE TAKING

14Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

ARSON

15Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

1960s – 1970s : Baadei- Meinhof gang (Germany), the Red Brigades (Italy),the weather on the ground (USA), Aum Shiutikyo (Japan), Basque Separatists (Spain) IRA (Ireland).

1970s – 1980s : Hezbollah, Hamas, Taliban, Al-Qaeda.

1990s – 2000+ : Al-shabab, Boko Haram.

16Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

TYPES OF TERRORISM

• Political Terrorism• Criminal Terrorist• State or Repressive Terrorism• Revolutionary Terrorism• Sub-Revolutionary Terrorism

17Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

EMERGING THREAT• Internet

(a) Cyber Terrorism.(b) Communication.(c) Research.(d) Websites.

• WMD(a) Extremists want to use WMD.(b) Crude recipes for WMD on the internet.(c) Tokyo Sarin gas attacks in 1995.(d) US Anthax letters in 2001.(e) Attacks against petroleum, chemical or nuclear sites.

18Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

SUICIDE BOMBING

The wave of contemporary suicide attacks is traceable back to October 1983 when a truck bomb destroyed a US Marine Barracks in Beirut, killing 241 soldiers and injuring more than 100 others.21

19Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

26/9/2013 Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni 20

CAUSES OF TERRORISM

Its cause might be political most potentially,

economic, religious, and in some cases, by the

combination of these factors.27

21Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

MOTIVATING FACTORS

• Social and political injustice: People chose terrorism when they are typing to right what they perceive to be a social or political or historical wrong – when they have been stripped of their land or rights, or denied these.

• The belief that violence or its threat will be effective and usher in change.

22Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

EFFECTS OF TERRORISM TO HUMAN SECURITY

• Terror• Intimidation• Suicide• Fear• Destruction• Publicity• WMD• Insecurity• Internet Cyber-crime, Communication, etc.

23Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

CONCLUSION

The effect of terrorism which is not only to terrorize

and cause panic and intimidation to the political

system, but it also affect stability of state. The fight

against terrorism makes the terrorist one to fight

more creating a state of total insecurity to affected

nations.

24Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni26/9/2013

THANK YOU

Paper presented by: John Densen Tikigbomeni 2526/9/2013