PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST SOUTHERN VOICES NETWORK FOR
PEACEBUILDING (SVNP) EASTERN AFRICA POLICY CONFERENCE

Theme:

Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the COVID-19 Era
Date:
7-8 December 2020

Venue:
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya
Edited by:
Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane
Mr. William Owande
In Partnership with:

Table of Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ iii
Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................................ iv
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ v
1.

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Objectives of the conference ....................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Conference Sub-Themes .............................................................................................................. 2
1.4 The Conference Procedure........................................................................................................... 2
1.5 Expected Outcomes...................................................................................................................... 3

2.

OPENING SESSION .......................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Opening Remarks from the Moderator Ms Helen Kezie-Nwoha, Director, Women’s
International Peace Centre, Uganda ................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Opening Remarks by Prof. Kiamba, ATPS Chair of Board of Directors ....................................... 4
2.3 Opening Remarks by Dr. Nicholas Ozor, Executive Director, African Technology Policy Studies
Network (ATPS) .................................................................................................................................. 4
2.4 Opening Remarks by Dr. Monde Muyangwa, Director, African Program, Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars....................................................................................................... 5
2.5 Keynote Address and Official Opening by the Chief Guest of Honour ....................................... 5
2.6 Perspectives from the Opening Keynote and Official Opening Addresses ................................ 9
2.8 Facilitated Discussions ............................................................................................................... 13

3.

THEMATIC PAPER PRESENTATIONS ............................................................................................. 14
3.1 Violent Extremism in the context of COVID-19: Issues, Impacts and Lessons - Prof. Fredrick
Ogenga, CMDPS ............................................................................................................................... 14
3.2 Strengthening Eastern Africa’s Capacity for PCVE: Options for the Way Forward- Mr. Basabose
Denis, Commissioner of Police, Rwanda.......................................................................................... 15
3.3 Regional Mechanisms in Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Policy Option for
Eastern Africa by Ms. Eugenia Kayitesi, IPAR, Rwanda .................................................................. 16
3.4 The Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism in Eastern Africa by Mr. Kennedy Walusala,
Regional Youth Forum for International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) ............. 17
3.5 Challenges in Preventing/Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism in Africa by Ms. Helen
Kezie-Nwoha, WIPC, Uganda ........................................................................................................... 17
3.6 Religious Radicalism and Violent Extremism in Africa by Mr. Syndoph Endoni- Nigerian HighCommission, Nairobi, Kenya ............................................................................................................ 18
3.7 The Place of Technology in Violent Extremism in Africa: Promoting or Countering by Prof.
Walter Oyawa, NACOSTI, Kenya ...................................................................................................... 19

4.

POLICY DIALOGUE ........................................................................................................................ 20

i|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conference4.1 High Level Policy Dialogue on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in Eastern Africa
by the - Panel of Policy Experts ........................................................................................................ 20
4.2 Presentation of Conference Communique for Adoption by Mr. Alfred Nyambane, ATPS
Research Officer ............................................................................................................................... 24
5.

CLOSING SESSION ......................................................................................................................... 25

ANNEXES ............................................................................................................................................... 27
Annex 1: Conference Program ......................................................................................................... 27
Annex 2: List of Delegates ................................................................................................................ 29
Annex 3: Conference Communique ................................................................................................. 32
Annex 4: Livestreaming Report........................................................................................................ 35

ii | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceAcronyms and Abbreviations
ATPS
CMDPS
COVID-19
CS
CSOs
ICGLR
IPAR
ISIS
NACOSTI
NCTC
NGO
PCVE
RIFU
SVNP
WIPC

iii | P r o c e e d i n g s

African Technology Policy Studies Network
Center for Media, Democracy, Peace & Security
Corona Virus Disease 2019
Cabinet Secretary
Civil Society Organizations
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region
Institute of Policy Analysis and Research-Rwanda
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation
National Counter-terrorism Centre
Non-Governmental Organization
Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism
Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit
Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding
Women’s International Peace Centreof the SVNP East African ConferenceAcknowledgement
We appreciate the financial support received from the Wilson International Center for
Scholars, USA, that that has made this conference a success. In particular, we appreciate Dr.
Monde Muyangwa, Director, Africa Program Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars, for her participation in the conference and effective leadership of the Africa
Program. We also appreciate our partners, Center for Media, Democracy, Peace & SecurityRongo University, Kenya led by Prof. Ogenga; the Women’s International Peace Centre,
Uganda led by Ms. Helen Kezie-Nwoha; the Centre for Conflict Management-University of
Rwanda and the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR)- Rwanda led by Ms. Eugenia
Kayitesi; Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, for their contributions. We also thank ATPS
secretariat, Mr. Alfred Nyambane, Mr. William Owande, Mr. Mark Kimani, Mr. Felix Musila
and Ms. Rachael Nzambi for their tireless work that made this conference a success. Special
thanks go to Prof. Crispus Kiamba, Chairman of the ATPS Board of Directors, for his facilitationand continuous support throughout the conference and to the ATPS. Finally, we appreciate
the participation of the delegates (physical and online) that made the conference lively andenjoyable across all the sessions from different parts of the world.
Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Executive Director, ATPSiv | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceExecutive Summary
The Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) is a continent-wide network of African
policy and research organizations that works with the Wilson Center Africa Program to bring
African knowledge and perspectives to US, African, and international policy on peacebuildingin Africa. Established in 2011 and supported financially by the Carnegie Corporation of New
York, the project Network avenues for African researchers and practitioners to engage withand exchange analyses and perspectives with US, African, and international policymakers inorder to develop the most appropriate, cohesive, and inclusive policy frameworks andapproaches to achieving sustainable peace in Africa. This conference was primarily organized
to respond to issues of violent extremism in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Era in
Eastern Africa.
The objectives of the conference were to create stronger networks more effectively able toidentify threats and respond to violent extremism across the region; cultivate a successfully
working relation with at-risk individuals and groups through trust-based and long-term
engagement in violent extremism affected communities; and build the capacity of local
leaders, government officials, civil society, research institutions and informal networks tobetter understand and address violent extremism in their respective communities. The
conference adopted a two-pronged participatory approach to deliberate on the conference
theme. The plenary session enabled the delegates to make their presentations followed byquestions from the audience whilst participatory sessions enabled the delegates to synthesize
the lessons from the presentations based on the conference themes. It also presented a good
opportunity for the audience to ask questions and give their views on issues under discussion.
It was noted that recruitment into the extremist groups was widespread and did not only
concentrate on traditional hotspots but was also being conducted in non-traditional hotspots.
Both male and female gender were involved in radicalization and recruitment of new
members of the violent extremist group. Mostly the youth are the target group of the violent
extremist groups since they have the energy, are not risk averse, and have more access todigital platforms such as mobile phones. COVID-19 presented an opportunity andexacerbated recruitment of new members of the terror groups. However, no clear data has
supported this viewpoint. Most of the recruits of the violent extremist groups wereradicalized by their peers. Corruption in security apparatus makes violent extremists traverse
the region with ease due to border porosity since they negotiate with security officers at theport of entry and obtain vital documents such as identification cards and temporary pass into
new areas to recruit more members. Lack of strong and valued regional collaboration has
made it difficult to successfully prevent and control activities of violent extremists in theregion.
Since terrorism has kept on mutating in the region, there were calls to mobilize resources tosupport research to provide the lacking data to inform policy formulation andimplementation. The female gender has equal potential for radicalization and dev|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conferenceradicalization just like their male counterparts. Therefore, the women and girls should beincorporated in the fight against the menace in the region. There is urgent need forcommunity engagement to stamp out the extremist groups from the region throughcollaborations, right from grassroots to the regional level, to enhance information flow andsecurity. There is need for governments to review sermons from religious groups linked toradicalization before delivery to their subjects to ensure that they are not destructive to thepeople. Social media content should be closely monitored by governments to reduce theradicalization of the youth. Governments should create youth focused programs and jobs to
involve them in nation-building and avoid idleness. It is also necessary to re-introduce postuniversity national youth service to engage the youth and train then on patriotism
immediately after their graduation. There is need to build capacity of personnel andinstitutions involved in fighting radicalization in the region.

vi | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Over the past few decades, the world has experienced waves of violent extremism that havesubsequently led to terrorism. As terrorism mutates in Africa, there is need for coordinatedefforts at the level of research, policy and practice to formulate workable regional
interventions that put into consideration changing dynamics occasioned by COVID-19
pandemic. The latter is rapidly creating an enabling environment for luring and targeting
unsuspecting users into radicalization and violent extremism more aggressively owing to theincreased level of exposure and time spent on social media platforms in the context oflockdown measures in countries in Eastern Africa. Research and policy direction, as well aspractical interventions, should be re-oriented towards Preventing and Countering Violent
Extremism (PCVE) pillars of support and set realistic goals to reduce the impacts of terrorism
in Eastern Africa in the short term and counter other systemic and structural factors that are
responsible for extremism in the long term. While terrorism has been a scourge in Eastern
African region with Somalia being the hardest hit, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are notstrangers to terrorist attacks too as witnessed in the 1998 twin bombings of the US Embassies
in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam and 2010 Kampala bombings respectively. Kenya has been theworst affected state in Eastern Africa prompting the country to launch military action in
Somalia through Operation “Linda Nchi” (Protect Country) to flush out the al-Shabaabterrorists and hopefully reduce the impact of terrorism in Kenya.
The extremists have stepped up their efforts to recruit new followers not only in theirtraditional hotspots but even in non-traditional landscapes, leaving neither the youth nor
women behind. This has led to the loss of human lives as well as property all over the world.
COVID-19 has presented an opportunity that can be exploited by the extremist groups andterrorists to accomplish their missions. There is therefore an urgent need for strong
cooperation in the fight against the criminal act of violent extremism since there is no single
country that can win this struggle alone. Terrorism and violent extremism call for proper andcoordinated research, policy and practical interventions that seek to understand the ecology
of both crimes in individual states/countries and contexts.
In this regard, the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) hosted the first-everSouthern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) Eastern Africa Policy Conference inpartnership with the Center for Media, Democracy, Peace & Security, Rongo University,
Kenya; the Women’s International Peace Centre, Uganda; the Centre for Conflict
Management, University of Rwanda; the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research, Rwanda;
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; and the Wilson Centre, USA. The two-day policy conference
was held from 7-8 December 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

1|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conference

The conference brought together 55 delegates from within and outside Eastern Africa,
representing various institutions to deliberate on the conference theme tagged: Preventing
and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) in the COVID-19 Era. However, due to COVID-19
prevention and control measures, some of the delegates attended the conference virtually.
The conference was also live in the ATPS YouTube and Facebook channels.
1.2 Objectives of the conference
The objectives of the conference were to:i) Create stronger networks more effectively able to identify threats and respond to violent
extremism across the region.
ii) Cultivate a successfully working relation with at-risk individuals and groups through trustbased and long-term engagements in violent extremism-affected communities.
iii) Build the capacity of local leaders, government officials, civil society, research institutions
and informal networks to better understand and address violent extremism in theirrespective communities.
1.3 Conference Sub-Themes
The sub-themes for the policy conference were:i. Understanding violent extremism-in East Africa – Issues, Drivers, Facts and Figures
ii. Regional Mechanisms in Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Strategies
and Policies in Eastern Africaiii. Violent Extremism in the context of COVID-19: Issues, Impacts and Lessons
iv. The Place of Technology in Violent Extremism in Africa: Promoting or Countering?
v. The Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism in Eastern Africa
vi. Challenges in preventing/countering terrorism and violent extremism in Africavii. Religious radicalism and violent extremism in Africaviii. Strengthening Eastern Africa’s capacity for PCVE: Options for the Way Forward
1.4 The Conference Procedure
The conference adopted a two-pronged participatory process to enable the delegates toactively engage in the process. These were:••

A plenary session for paper presenters to make their presentations. Each of theplenary presentations was followed by a dialogue to harness more knowledge andinformation from delegates and address questions arising from the presentations; andA participatory session dubbed ‘High-Level Policy Dialogue’ on preventing andcountering violent extremism. This session enabled some selected high-level
policymakers on the subject matter from different countries to discuss on policy
implications and next steps for PCVE in Eastern Africa.

2|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conference1.5 Expected Outcomes
Through the two-pronged participatory process, it was envisioned that the policy conference
would lead to the following expected outcomes:• Increased understanding and shared knowledge on preventive efforts of countering
violent extremism in Eastern Africa.
• Reaching consensus on the best collaborative approaches in research, policy direction
and practical interventions in Eastern Africa.
• Analyses of capacities and gaps of existing mechanisms, action plans, institutions andstructures for countering and preventing violent extremism in Eastern Africa.
• Underscoring the potential role of technology (social media) in radicalisation andrecruitment.
• Exploring the use of social media platforms in preventing and countering violent
extremism and digital peacebuilding.
• A plan of action for the Southern Voices Network for Peace (SVNP) annual conference.

3|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conference2. OPENING SESSION
Dr. Nicholas Ozor, ATPS Executive Director, introduced and invited the session moderator for
the Opening Ceremony, Ms Helen Kezie-Nwoha, Director, Women’s International Peace
Centre, Uganda, to moderate the session under the Chairmanship of Prof. Crispus Kiamba,
ATPS Chair of Board of Directors.
2.1 Opening Remarks from the Moderator Ms Helen Kezie-Nwoha, Director, Women’s
International Peace Centre, Uganda
As the moderator of the opening session of the conference, Ms Helen
Kezie-Nwoha gave a brief remark on the essence of the policy
conference. She noted that since the outbreak of COVID-19 at the
beginning of the year, the preventive and control measures restricted
the movement of people thus confining people at home most of thetime. She further said that as a result, the only way for communication
was through information technology that has propagated the violent
extremism not only in the African region but also globally. She said
that it was important to hold conversations to come up with an action plan to effectively
respond to the issue of violent extremism in Eastern Africa. She then welcomed the Chair of
ATPS Board of Directors, Prof. Crispus Kiamba to chair the session.
2.2 Opening Remarks by Prof. Kiamba, ATPS Chair of Board of Directors
Prof. Kiamba, while chairing the session, welcomed Dr. Nicholas Ozor,
the ATPS Executive Director and thereafter, Dr. Monde Muyangwa whois the Director, African Program Woodrow Wilson International Center
for Scholars as co-presenters in the session. He expressed confidence
that the outcomes from the policy conference would be useful inpreventing and countering violent extremism in the Eastern Africa
Region.
2.3 Opening Remarks by Dr. Nicholas Ozor, Executive Director, African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Dr. Nicholas Ozor welcomed both the physical and virtual delegates tothe conference. He provided some background information on theorigin and composition of the SVNP. He also briefed the delegates
about ATPS, outlining its key areas of operations and its role in the fightagainst violent extremism using science, technology and innovation(STI). Dr. Ozor added that the interest of ATPS is in the application of
STI in fighting violent extremism in the region. He exuded confidence
4|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conferencethat the crop of delegates drawn from governments, research institutions, private sector
actors and the civil society actors would provide policy solutions to the problem of violent
extremism.

2.4 Opening Remarks by Dr. Monde Muyangwa, Director, African Program, Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars
While attending the conference online from the United States, Dr.
Monde Muyangwa said that the COVID-19 has turned the world upsidedown. She further noted that the pandemic has impacted on security
situations on the continent and was delighted that her colleagues in
Eastern Africa had invited fantastic speakers to deliberate on the issue
of preventing and countering violent extremism. She expressed
optimism that the outcomes of the policy conference will provide useful
insights and strategies for PCVE in Eastern Africa. She wished all the delegates well and looked
forward to very fruitful deliberation and outcomes.

2.5 Keynote Address and Official Opening by the Chief Guest of Honour
2.5.1 Keynote Address: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the COVID-19 EraBy Mr. Onno Koopmans, Regional PCVE Coordinator East Africa, Embassy of the Kingdom ofNetherlands, Nairobi, Kenya
Mr. Onno Koopmans in his presentation noted that COVID-19 had
presented opportunities for the recruitment of people into violent
extremism. He outlined ten drivers to recruitment into violent
extremism. They include:
1.
Marginalization and generational suffering of communities
Mr. Onno hypothesized that most of the recruitments into violent
extremism happen along borderlines, especially due to marginalization.
2. Educational Level
Most of the recruits into the extremist groups were those with low levels of education.
However, he also noted that recruitment had taken place even in universities where most of
the people involved had high levels of education.
3. Religious Literacy
It was noted that most people get recruited into extremist groups due to low levels of religious
literacy. Most of the recruits rely on others for the interpretation of the Quran and otherreligious books. These religious groups/people now go ahead to interpret these books to suit
their nefarious mission.
5|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conference4. Need for Employment
Many people joined the violent extremist groups due to financial constraints. Joblessness candrive people to join violent extremist groups in order to secure employment or money. Some
recruits think joining Al Shabab is just like joining any military force like the police. However,some have also been forcibly recruited by the extremists.
5. Limited confidence in the institutions and in the democratic systems
This is possible, especially where the people do not have confidence in their governments. If
the people do not have trust in the messages put up by their governments, then they can opt
to join the terrorist groups or rebel against the government itself.
6. Speed of recruitment
About 80% of people are recruited within a year and about 50% is done within a month. This
makes it difficult to counter recruitment because it is too fast. Therefore, countering is good
but prevention is even better. People who bear family responsibilities are less likely to be
recruited as compared to those without family responsibilities, especially the youth. In thiscase, the eldest male children have less chances to be recruited compared to their younger
ones.
7. Social networks
Is the covid-19 affecting the community cohesion? Is the social tension coming from COVID19? Social networks are very influential in the recruitment. Social tension from the community
can accelerate the chances of recruitment. If the youth are idle, not going to school, they may
be influenced/lured into joining violent extremist groups.
8. Globalized ideas generated to discredit some religions or ideologies
Recruitment is highly localized and yet influenced by globalized ideas. For instance, the Al
Shabab terrorists used messages that COVID-19 was only affecting the infidels and therefore
a punishment from Allah. However, when COVID-19 reached their land and started infecting
people, they changed the narrative and said they would provide health care to the people
since the government did not take care of the people.
9. Who is introducing recruits to the extremist groups?
Most of the people are introduced by their peers. In some of the countries, young people only
know that the only authority is the extremist groups and therefore, think that joining thegroups is just like joining any other local police force or army.
10. Tipping points
Extra-judiciary killings and actions may drive people to join violent extremist groups. This may
make people to rebel against an oppressive government. The security forces may also be
preoccupied or overwhelmed by COVID-19 thus making people more vulnerable torecruitment by violent extremist groups.
Assumptions:
6|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conferencea) Drivers might be worse due to COVID-19 than before. They may make people more
vulnerable to recruitment than before.
b) Lockdown and closure of schools might make people more vulnerable to online
recruitments since they have nothing to do.
c) Use of excessive force by government security on the people may be used as anopportunity by the violent extremist groups to recruit people.
Mr. Onno commended the government of Kenya for putting a lot of efforts in the prevention
and control of the spread of COVID-19 as well as in providing detailed updates frequently.
2.5.2 Official Opening Address by the Chief Guest of Honour, the Cabinet Secretary, Ministryof Interior and Coordination of National Government, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, EGH.
The Chief Guest of Honour and Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior
and Coordination of National Government, Dr. Fred Matiang’i wasrepresented by his Principal Administrative Secretary, Mr. Moffat
Kangi, EBS. Before he read the speech from the Chief Guest of Honour,
Mr. Kangi thanked the organizers of the conference for recognizing
the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government andthe invitation to participate in the very important conference notingthat it is timely. He further noted that due to the severe effects of
COVID-19, the government was concerned about violent extremism and is managing thepsychology of the people. He said that terrorism has not stopped in this COVID-19 era andthreats are always there. There is, therefore, need to continue to jointly hold discussions tofind a solution to the problem of violent extremism. According to Mr. Kangi, the fight against
terrorism requires information from research to be able to understand the prevailingcircumstances exacerbated by the COVID-19. Mr. Kangi noted that the adaptation ofterrorism to pandemics and other calamities of such nature is much faster than that fromgovernment institutions. Therefore, there is need to look at the roles of different actors in thefight against violent extremism. He identified six critical actors in the broad spectrum of
terrorism to include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Role of the government
Role of institutions
Role of civil society
Role of collaborative efforts of the international community
Role of technology
Role of research

The role of research is extremely important in the battle against violent extremism tounderstand why recruitment and radicalization abound, and why people would like to accept
to be recruited into violent extremism despite their natural attitude to resist it. Mr. Kangi

7|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conferencethereafter read out the Address from the CS Interior and Coordination of National
Government.
The CS thanked the delegates for honouring the invitation by the ATPS and its partners toattend and participate in the First Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Policy
Conference. He noted that the conference theme tagged: Preventing and Countering Violent
Extremism in the COVID-19 Era coincides with the efforts of the Government of Kenya in
upscaling its efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism in the country and remindeddelegates that while the world’s attention at the moment focuses on the health and economic
impacts of COVID-19, the threat of violent extremism remains, and has in some circumstances
been exacerbated during the crisis, hence the demands for new and renewed attention sothat the gains made to date in PCVE are not reversed.
The Chief Guest of Honour further noted that violent extremism coupled with COVID-19 had
presented a challenging situation and added that there is need for a collective approach tohandling it since no single country can win the struggle alone. The CS added that research andpolicy direction, as well as practical interventions, should be re-oriented towards preventing
and countering violent extremism and set realistic goals that are going to reduce the impactsof terrorism in Eastern Africa in the short term and counter other systemic and structural
factors that are responsible for extremism in the long term. He exuded confidence that therich and diverse audience in terms of the knowledge repository in matters on PCVE especiallyin the COVID-19 Era would provide rich information in the dialogue and with more viable
solutions and mechanisms for PCVE in Eastern Africa. He also observed that terrorists willcontinue to use new strategies to advance violent extremism and therefore, he emphasized
the need to involve the use of applied research, through science, technology and innovation(STI) in the prevention and countering of violent extremism. This might involve the applicationof artificial intelligence (AI) since the terrorists also keep on mutating their tactics andapproaches in their subsequent waves of attack.
The CS further noted that the National Counterterrorism Strategy that was proposed by the
National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC) and rolled out as a Presidential Directive in 2014
was being implemented in all the 47 Counties in Kenya. The importance of sharing the vitallessons learnt within the Eastern Africa region for coordinated responses was underscored.
This according to the CS would support the realization of stronger networks that caneffectively identify threats and respond to violent extremism across the region very timely.
Since many nations have embraced lockdown and curfew to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,
movements have been restricted leaving the social media as the only avenue to social
interaction and communication dubbed the ‘New Normal’. Therefore, it is critical to examine
ways in which social media can be used for preventing and countering violent extremism inthe context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

8|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African Conference2.6 Perspectives from the Opening Keynote and Official Opening Addresses
2.6.1 Perspectives by Prof. Fredrick Ogenga, Center for Media, Democracy, Peace & Security(CMDPS), Rongo University, Kenya.
Prof. Fredrick Ogenga addressed the issue of marginalization andnoted that recruitment is not only concentrated in traditional
hotspots in Kenya like in Garissa but also new frontier sites such as
Migori. He pointed out that it would be necessary for research to be
conducted to understand the extent to which COVID-19 has createda new frontier for violent extremism recruitment. According to theresearch done in Western Kenya, women in Kadem have complainedthat their children adopted funny names and could leave home forunknown destinations periodically. This raised red flags thereby generating suspicions onwhether this could be a transition into terrorism. This involved both girls and boys who
appeared to have been radicalized in schools.
Another issue that was raised by Prof. Ogenga was related to the closure of schools due tothe pandemic whereby students who are not attending schools are vulnerable to so many
issues like gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies and petty crimes among others. On
religious literacy, he noted that misinterpretation of religious ideologies was very common
and therefore he called upon the clergy to come up with religious literacy programs to deal
with ideological issues. This should involve all stakeholders such as the business communities,
opinion leaders and bloggers to correct the misinterpretation of religious matters. Prof.
Ogenga also responded to issues of employment for the youth saying that employed youths
are busy and as such cannot have time for extremist activities. An example of strategies for
empowering the youth is by engaging them in sporting activities.
Worthy to note also is the role played by social media. There is need to initiate social media
literacy programmes to educate the youth not to be easily lured into joining these violent
extremist groups. He advocated for interventions informed by research and policy to help inprevention rather than waiting to control as prevention is better than cure.

9|Proceedingsof the SVNP East African ConferencePlate 1: Delegates at the policy conference
2.6.2 Perspectives by Mr. Elly Opondo, Program Director, Champions of Peace
Mr. Elly Opondo observed that a good preventive intervention
program should be designed within the spectrum of speed ofrecruitment. After the Dusit 2 Hotel terrorist attack in Nairobi, it was
realized that recruitment takes place in new areas at an alarming
speed. He mentioned Gichunge in Nyeri and Bwire in Busia as cases toconfirm this narrative.
According to Mr. Opondo, if there is no trust between the security
apparatus and the community, the information flow is curtailed. This makes it difficult for the
security architects to receive useful information and hence needing deeper digging to prevent
attacks because there is no trust.
Mr. Opondo also noted that the way governments relay its messages to the public is very
paramount. If the government overreacts to security issues, then it can cause a lot of harmand consequences. The government’s reaction is also important in building confidence among
the general public. Research is inevitable to understand what is involved in online recruitment
in which most of the youths are involved and spend a lot of time in. There is need to increase
community policing in order to handle the extremist activities from the grassroot
communities in every country. Also, needed is a joint responsibility in the implementation of
the National County Action Plans (CAPs).

10 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference2.6.3 Perspectives by Prof. Walter Oyawa, Director General, National Commission for
Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI)
Prof. Walter Oyawa responded to the issues raised by earlier speakers
and mentioned that COVID-19 had severe impacts especially on the
youths. He noted that COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent global
lockdowns locked up about one billion students who were out ofschool in their homes due to imposed control measures. The students
consequently spend a lot of time on the internet and this enhances theefforts of terrorists to conduct online recruitment into criminal
activities. He also mentioned that criminal gangs, as observed in SouthAmerica take advantage of COVID-19 to expand their territories because of the lockdowns in
the countries. The gangs take advantage of the lockdown and recruit the youths because they
are out of school and are not engaged in any employment. He also noted that the youth havebeen engaged for consolidation of political powers in some parts of the world since they areenergetic and idle. The untapped energies can be put to wrong use by opportunists if
governments do not take swift action.
Prof. Oyawa pointed out that COVID-19 has led to the loss of income to millions of people
globally due to lockdowns. This has subjected many people to suffering. He mentioned thatthe pandemic has led to mass teenage pregnancies across the globe since the youths became
idle as schools were shut down to control the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic,
there were also some conspiracy theories that COVID-19 was a bioweapon or can be used asone. There is need to enhance education on the use of modern technology amongst the youth
in order to divert their energies to useful activities such as research on new innovations thatcan enhance development. This can be done through the establishment of research andinnovation hubs. He advocated for compulsory post-university national youth service thatwould equip the youth with various new technical skills and also engrain them with patriotism
and discipline.
2.6.4 Perspectives from Ms. Evelyn Butichi, Elect Women Africa Foundation
Ms. Evelyn Butichi of Elect Women Africa Foundation accentuated thatradicalization is gaining grounds in new non-traditional landscapes.
When the youth are not taken care of, this becomes a serious societal
problem. She advised that grounds for youth radicalization should be
eliminated by establishing programmes that provide the youth with
opportunities. She threw caution to the government to tap the youth
energies in order to put them to good use.

11 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference2.7 Presentation on: Understanding Violent Extremism in Eastern Africa – Issues, Drivers,
Facts and Figures by Ms. Marion Ngare, National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC), Kenya
Ms. Marion Ngare of the Kenya National Counterterrorism Center(NCTC) pointed out that it was important to note that terrorists
remain active actors who have created group identities. The
pandemic has not stopped terrorism. These terrorists neverslumber and therefore there is need to always remain vigilant. She
indicated that terrorism knows no boundaries and that foreigners
are always involved and no country is safe. The Mozambique casealso involved other nationalities including Kenyans. She outlined
some of the drivers of violent extremism to include:
Religion: Misinterpretation of religion has lured some youth through financial enticement andmisleading religious teaching. Religious leaders from all religious outfits have been engaged
in order to attack the ideology to end the war.
Marginalization: There have been issues and claims of marginalization both perceived andreal in the past. Some people in some regions feel that they have been marginalized for too
long by the government and therefore, have resorted to rebel and join violent extremistgroups.
Unemployment: The terror groups have been taking advantage of the unemployment statusof the youth in most African countries and promised them greener pastures which they lateron realize are not there. They are recruited using monetary resources. Empowering the youth
would go a long way in curtailing their recruitments into violent extremist groups.
Technology. Most of the youth have access to radicalization materials from the internet andare recruited into the terror groups through social media. Individuals get access to theseideologies and content that they begin to get self-radicalized and carry out lone-wolf attacks.
Adventurous spirit: Some youths join the terror groups not because they lack anything but
because they would like to adventure and try new things. She pointed out that there is no
single driver that can make a person join violent extremist groups. The government has
resorted to using the soft approach to tackle violent extremism where stakeholders drawn
from religious groups, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), academia, social media etc. areengaged in dialogue or mediation to address the root causes of the violence. In preparationof the National anti-terrorism strategy, the different categories of stakeholders wereinvolved. They were also involved in the development and implementation of County Action
Plans being implemented in all the 47 counties of Kenya. She further noted that there is notenough data/research on violent extremism and called for action by scholars to provide
evidence-supported information that will guide government actions and policies. She also
noted that there is need for collaboration within the region in preventing and countering
violent extremism.

12 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference2.8 Facilitated Discussions
Mr. Syndoph Endoni: Violent extremism is a common problem in the region and is not a one
nation war. There is need for regional collaboration and no country should relax whenanother is under attack as the saying goes ‘it is only a foolish man that goes to sleep when his
neighbour’s house is on fire’. Therefore, there is need for regional cooperation. Terrorism has
been mutating in the region therefore there is need to be innovative and be ahead of theviolent extremists in terms of technology through research, if we have to win the battle.
Mr. Kennedy Walusala: Policymakers have no data on violent extremism and therefore there
is a serious need for scholars to take immediate actions and conduct research to provide
evidence to inform policy. Resources are therefore required to support the scholars to
conduct applied research in the area of violent extremism. The ATPS and its partners remains
committed to undertaking such research that inform policy and programmes.
Ms. Marion Ngare: Scholars are indispensable in the fight against violent extremism since
they play a fundamental role in providing evidence-based research data useful in informing
policy. Currently, there are no figures on violent extremism in the COVID-19 era. Collaborationis very key in the Eastern African region since the extremists traverse the whole region. The
recent cases of youth from Tanzania radicalizing in Kenya and Kenyans participating in violent
extremism in Mozambique call for strong collaboration in the region. There is no single driverthat has been identified to be more influential in driving people into radicalization than others
since research has not provided evidence on the issue.

13 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference3. THEMATIC PAPER PRESENTATIONSThis session was moderated by Ms. Evelyn Butichi, Elect Women Africa Foundation. She
welcomed Mr. Alfred Nyambane, a Researcher at the ATPS, to provide a recap of Day 1
activities. After the recap of Day 1 activities, Ms. Evelyn called on delegates to present theirpapers as follows:
3.1 Violent Extremism in the context of COVID-19: Issues, Impacts and Lessons - Prof.
Fredrick Ogenga, CMDPS
While presenting his paper, Prof. Ogenga said that the media has amajor role to play in reporting terrorism. However, the morality of themedia in reporting violent extremism needs to be questioned. He said
that peace journalism needs to be embraced by following three major
philosophies that were founded by eminent African leaders: Nelson
Mandela, Julius Nyerere and Jomo Kenyatta. These principles are: Utu,
Ujamaa and Harambee as used in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya
respectively.
Prof. Ogenga noted that borderline dynamics and peripheral issues are emerging because
traditional terrorism sites are already saturated. This is because COVID-19 has exacerbatedyouth recruitments as they exchange information on radicalization due to lack ofopportunities for the youths. He also mentioned that the misrepresentation of religion gives
terrorism opportunities to thrive. He posed a research question: What is the extent to which
COVID-19 has accelerated grounds for further radicalization and recruitment in terms ofnumbers and qualitative narratives? What can we learn and what can we take home?
These can be looked at in relation to the following questions.
1. What can we do as stakeholders in the PCVE enterprise to try and create trusted
institutions that will be reliable in the war against violent extremism?
2. How can we empower the youth so that we can create a conducive environment?
Lessons from the County Action Plan
1. The Action Plans that have been developed need to be unique, accepted and owned
by people
2. A lot of resources are required to actualize the Action Plans e.g., training andawareness creation programs are required to cascade and mainstream the County
Action Plans.
3. Implementation of milestones requires monitoring and evaluation throughinformation technology-based programs so that people in one location can know what
is happening in another area instantly. This is easily done by logging into the fusionthat shows graphs of progress.
14 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference3.2 Strengthening Eastern Africa’s Capacity for PCVE: Options for the Way Forward- Mr.
Basabose Denis, Commissioner of Police, Rwanda
While representing the Inspector General of Police, Rwanda National
Police (RNP), Mr. Basabose recognized that there is continued
radicalization in the Eastern Africa Region and that Rwanda is not
immune to violent extremism in the region. Providing the experiencesin Rwanda, he noted that the violent acts were being perpetrated byradical religious preachers from outside Rwanda. This, he said, has led
to the death of people especially Christians whom they fight in the
country. He gave an example of a police officer who killed more than
five of his colleagues using his rifle while on patrol. Radicalization is a
mission that does not discriminate gender. Some women are involved in acts of violence. He
added that the extremists move from the traditional hotspots of radicalization to new areas
where they can freely recruit new converts.
Mr. Basabose noted that the pillar of prevention has not been effective in the region since
the terrorists could move from one country to another due to border porosity. He emphasized
the need to allocate more resources to prevention in order to effectively deal with violent
extremism in the region. Mr. Basabose identified the following points as the key drivers ofviolent extremism in the region.
i) Differences in legal frameworks in member countries.
ii) Border porosity has created free movements of violent extremists to carry out their
mission in new areas in different countries in the region.
iii) Radical preaching has misled the recruits since there is no approval of sermons.
iv) Uncontrolled internet use, especially by the youths who spend a lot of their timesurfing and gaining access to radicalization materials. Therefore, there is need toscreen the information on YouTube in order to reduce radicalization.
v) Undermining of security organs since people are not ready to divulge information to
the security.
vi) Lack of capacity, knowledge and skills in institutions fighting radicalization. For
example, police do not know how to identify violent extremists.
vii) Corruption among border security officers who just negotiate with the extremists tosecure important travel documents that will allow them to cross the borders into newareas to recruit people.
viii) Ineffective country mechanisms in dealing with violent extremism.

15 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceHe further noted that there are so many frameworks such as defence, security organs, local
leadership and EAC laws whose chapter 23 Article 6 allows for the formulation of counterterrorism outfits. He, therefore, provided the following options for the way forward:
1. Joint cooperation agreements in the region with a permanent office for countering
violent extremism.
2. Strengthening international capacities of academia and researchers, civil society
organizations, and justice among others.
3. Organizing legal frameworks and conducting joint training and exercises.
4. Joint operations and investigations.
5. Enhancing border security by establishing permanent border posts.
6. Timely information sharing with all stakeholders to help in prevention and countering
violent extremism in the region.
3.3 Regional Mechanisms in Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Policy Option for
Eastern Africa by Ms. Eugenia Kayitesi, IPAR, Rwanda
Ms. Eugenia Kayitesi of the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research,
Rwanda noted that there were so many youths in the region that are not
employed and they could easily be lured into violent extremism
activities. She pointed out that African countries need to have broader
strategies in dealing with violent extremism and that soft approaches
were the right way to handle issues of extremism given the speed atwhich recruitment is being conducted.
Way Forward:
She provided the following measures as proactive ways forward for PCVE in the Eastern
African region:i)
The youth need to be provided with jobs to avoid idleness that make them vulnerable
to being recruited and radicalized.
ii) Governments need to offer vocational training opportunities for the youth.
iii) There is need for civic engagement by local governments and communities in thefight against violent extremism in the region.
iv) There is need for the use of media to reduce cases of violent extremism through local
radio programs.
v) There is need for policies that promote good governance, education, youth
employment and skills acquisition, etc.
vi) There is need to provide adequate resources to relevant organizations andinstitutions to conduct research and advocacy in PCVE. The outcomes will be theformulation of evidence-informed policies and programmes for PCVE.
vii) Reliable data from research is required to inform security apparatus in PCVE in theregion.
16 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference3.4 The Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism in Eastern Africa by Mr. Kennedy
Walusala, Regional Youth Forum for International Conference on the Great Lakes Region(ICGLR)
Mr. Kennedy Walusala, the President of the Regional Youth Forum for
ICGLR advocated for a regional framework for youth priority projects
in the region as a way of engaging and empowering them in order todissuade them from being lured into violent extremism. He also
observed that joint security management was necessary for dealing
with issues of violent extremism in the region. Mr. Walusala outlined
the following points as youth priority areas:a) Youth dialogue and conflict prevention should include and engage opposing parties
and other regional actors.
b) There is need for youth engagement in strengthening good governance, human rights
and the rule of law to prevent marginalization.
c) Empowering the youth through gainful employments enhances their participation in
PCVE activities.
d) There is need for gender equality especially for young women to ensure sustainable
peace and prevention of violent extremism.
e) Education and skills development are required to prepare young people for
employment and investment in programs that promote global citizenship,technological and vocational education among others.
f) Effective communication, internet and social media platforms are required to develop
and implement digital regional strategies that empower youth in PCVE.
3.5 Challenges in Preventing/Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism in Africa by Ms.
Helen Kezie-Nwoha, WIPC, Uganda
Ms. Helen Kezie-Nwoha noted that the majority of Africancountries are fragile and thus facilitates violent extremism in theregion and that there is a huge gap in profiling gender dimensionsof extremism on the continent. Border porosity has facilitatedactivities of terrorist groups that negotiate with the bordersecurity officers to obtain important documents in exchange formoney. Movement of people and goods have increased insecurity.
Violent extremists easily move and relocate to new hotspots toradicalize innocent people and lure them into their groups.
Corruption is rampant in most governments especially in offering social services whileneglecting youth engagement in useful programs. Interventions that target violent extremism
17 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conferencedo not match with the building of sustainable peace and dealing with marginalization. Militaryintervention alone has not succeeded in handling violent extremism in the region.
Therefore, the following Way Forward should be considered:
1. Collaboration within the region is required in order to succeed in dealing with violent
extremism
2. Border security should be enhanced.
3. Softer approaches should be adopted through the participatory engagement of all the
stakeholders.
4. There should be timely sharing of information leading to prevention and/or
countering of violent extremism.
5. There is need to support research activities of the SVNP consortia in identifying theunderlying issues, causes, impacts and strategies for PCVE in the region.
6. There is need to increase engagements in humanitarian diplomacy.
7. Paying greater attention to development issues in the economy will empower the
youth with skills and responsibilities thereby PCVE.
8. It is the states’ responsibilities to initiate engagement with communities to reduce
violent extremism.
3.6 Religious Radicalism and Violent Extremism in Africa by Mr. Syndoph Endoni- NigerianHigh Commission, Nairobi, Kenya
In his presentation, Mr. Endoni recalled the Muslims’ response to theoutbreak of COVID-19 in Europe and the United States. According tohim, the terrorists celebrated and claimed that the pandemic was apunishment on those who oppress Muslims and subsequently
advised members of the faith to avoid entering places with plague,according to the “Quran”. He noted that groups like Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda have theological backing for theirbrands of violent extremism, especially by considering that theiractivities went on virtually without being challenged by mainstream Islamic scholars. An
analysis of a report by the Tony Blair Research Institute revealed that religious counternarratives are failing to confront the scriptural references used prominently by the terroristgroups to justify their methods. He, therefore, made the following suggestions for PCVE.
a) The above scenario calls for the religious scholars concerned to take up the mantle ofresponsibility to correct misconceptions about Islam and combat the extremist
ideology.
b) Whereas there have been global calls for religious leaders to offer alternativeinterpretation to prevent extremists from defining the rule of the game in the battleof ideas, the onus is on the religious leaders and scholars to correct most of the
18 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conferencewrongs, including correcting emerging conceptions about Islam by highlighting
Prophet Mohamed’s glorious teachings through his biography.
c) There is no doubt that extremist voices, including in Africa, have had an impact on
Islam that is widely disproportionate to their numbers and their distortions, as also
noted in the report by the Tony Blair’s Research Institute.
d) In order to counter the extremists’ narratives, experts have called on governments tofund and establish centralised online resource where “credible religious voices” canchallenge the extremist ideologies.
e) In view of the foregoing, African governments, particularly those grossly affected orconfronted by the menace, may be urged to also encourage engagements withscholars and ensure that deradicalization becomes an integral part of the counterterrorism narrative.
In his conclusion and particularly bearing in mind the compelling security problems associatedwith radicalism, Mr. Endoni boldly also advocated for the following:i) East/West Collaboration which stresses the need to share both knowledge andexpertise.
ii) Increased vigilance and need for more caution by security agencies.
iii) Enhanced security at both hard and soft targets.
iv) Enhanced security including thorough checks, at all entry/border posts.
v) Side by side, the campaigns on social distancing and self-hygiene should be urged
by the appropriate authorities to sustain public enlightenment on security in the
COVID-19 era, like the US dictum of ‘see something, say something.’
3.7 The Place of Technology in Violent Extremism in Africa: Promoting or Countering by Prof.
Walter Oyawa, NACOSTI, Kenya
Prof. Oyawa of NACOSTI cautioned that technology is a double-edged
sword that can be destructive on one hand and can also be usefully
applied to offer solutions to challenges that we face in life. For
example, developed countries like Italy and China used robots anddrones to monitor patients and supply drugs, respectively during the
COVID-19 pandemic in order to avoid physical contacts as a way of
preventing the spread of the pandemic. He also gave an example of anegative and dangerous application of technology where the World
Trade Centre, in the US was bombed down using technology. Prof.
Oyawa mentioned the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on extremism as outlined below:a) It has led to a caged public as over 1 billion students remained in lockdown during the
pandemic. The students could only interact with the outside world through social
media which exposed them to extremists’ materials, leading to mass recruitment into
extremist groups.
19 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conferenceb) In South America some criminal gangs used the COVID-19 opportunity to recruit many
people into their groups thus expanding their territories and authority.
c) COVID-19 also led to loss of income and human dignity as many young girls wereabused and impregnated.
d) Some state actors also used the pandemic to interfere with national elections thus
creating opportunities that could be used by the terrorist groups to accomplish their
missions in radicalization.
e) Digital interaction during the pandemic posed a good opportunity for extremists torecruit new people into criminal groups through online interaction, especially the
youth that spent a lot of time surfing.
f) Conspiracy theories abound whether or not the virus was manufactured in thelaboratory.
Some Suggestions:➢ There is need to optimally engage the youth, especially graduates, in compulsory postuniversity youth service to instil national values in them.
➢ There is need for STI training for national and international security personnel on
issues of PCVE.
➢ There is also need to establish grass-root youth initiatives to engage the youth andprevent them from being recruited into extremist groups.

4. POLICY DIALOGUE
4.1 High Level Policy Dialogue on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in Eastern
Africa by the - Panel of Policy Experts
This session was chaired by Prof. Crispus Kiamba, Chairman, ATPS Board of Directors andformer Principal Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Kenya; andformer Vice Chancellor, University of Nairobi, Kenya. The Panelists in this session werecomprised of Dr. Charles Opiyo from the National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC), Kenya;
Prof. Walter Oyawa, National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI),
Kenya; Mr. Basabose Denis, Commissioner of Police, Rwanda; and Mr. Syndoph Endoni;
Nigerian High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya. The policy dialogue was designed to discuss andidentify key policy issues from the conference that can inform decision-making be therelevant ministries, agencies and departments in the region.
In his opening statement, Dr. Charles Opiyo of the NCTC noted that violent extremists havewell-set goals to achieve. He suggested that the only way out of their trap is to build strong
resilience through regional collaboration among the relevant institutions since no single

20 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conferencecountry can win the battle alone. He mentioned that violent extremists operate under sacredvalues that make them die for a cause.

Plate 2: The Policy Dialogue Panelists who were physically present during the dialogue
In his own opening statement, Prof. Walter Oyawa, Director General, NACOSTI noted that theextremists usually target the youth who are very vulnerable and who spend a lot of time on
the internet and social media. According to him, the youth always have access toradicalization materials on the internet and social media hence can easily be recruited online
by violent extremists. Prof. Oyawa pointed out that there is need to re-introduce postuniversity Youth Service scheme to engage the youth in meaningful endeavours once they
graduate from the university even prior to engaging in their other career endeavours. He
informed delegates that COVID-19 locked down about 1 billion students globally who canpotentially be involved into dangerous activities since they are idle and have access to theinternet where they can easily be recruited by the violent extremists. He further mentionedthat NACOSTI collaborated with UNESCO to take education programs to schools in the
counties during the pandemic.
On his own part, Mr. Basabose, Police Commissioner, Rwanda, noted that policies in the
Eastern African States do not align well. This gives the violent extremists opportunity tooperate with ease in the region. He further noted that there is need for genuine political
goodwill with proper focus on addressing violent extremism in the region. He also emphasizedon the need to strengthen national mechanisms by engaging civil society organizations,
government institutions, religious leaders, communities, youth and security organs in thefight against violent extremism in the region. He suggested that stakeholders from different
institutions need to be engaged if the region is committed to winning the battle against
violent extremism. The Commissioner gave an example of the existence of anti-terror clubs
from grassroot to national level in Rwanda. He added that researchers have a crucial role toplay in preventing and countering violent extremism in the region by advising on the best
21 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conferenceapproaches to be applied in dealing with terrorism based on research findings. He mentionedthat it is very necessary to share information regarding violent extremism through genuine
regional cooperation and collaborations. Policies without genuine communication to share
information will not bear fruits in the battle against violent extremism in the region he finallyremarked.
In his own views, Mr. Syndoph Endoni, Nigerian High Commission in Kenya, noted that inorder to obtain the desired results in the fight against terrorism, there is need for a continuous
sharing of information between and among the relevant institutions responsible forcombating the menace. He pointed out that Kenya is the worst-hit nation in this region andcautioned that other nations should not sit back and watch but should come together andform cooperative actions just like the ones formed in West African region that created a
Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) to fight terrorism by sharing real-time information on
terrorism. He mentioned that community engagements should be enhanced. He cautionedthat every part of the community should be on alert all the time since no one knows when
and where the terrorists can strike. He, therefore, informed that there is no traditional andnon-traditional hotspot for terrorist activities. He noted that attention has been paid totraditional hotspots only and that was not the best approach in handling the issue of violent
extremism since the terror groups keep on traversing borders into new non-traditional areas
to recruit more people and launch attacks.
On the question that had earlier been raised by the Executive Director of ATPS, Dr. Nicholas
Ozor on government involvement in religious matters through the regulation of sermons
before it is delivered to the audience, Mr. Syndoph said that it was the responsibility of thegovernment to regulate religious activities by giving an example of the government of
Morocco that regulates the sermons by approving them before they are preached to theaudience. Mr. Syndoph pointed out that there must be a deliberate attempt by governments
and religious leaders to ensure that no one is misguided by the contents of sermons. On social
media, Mr. Syndoph noted that there should be a deliberate effort to ensure that there areregulations that protect the public from being weaponized since some people use the media
to plant divisive information to cause chaos. He also mentioned that some people could beusing the sermons for personal gains. On COVID-19, Mr. Syndoph emphasized that bothviolent extremism and COVID-19 require equal attention and added that governments should
not concentrate on one and ignore the other.
On the good political will as a factor in dealing with extremism, Dr Ozor mentioned that it
requires a lot of advocacy and sensitization to push the government to learn and adopt bestpractices from other countries and institutions. He called on governments and other relevant
institutions to provide support to enable research initiatives to provide the much-needed
data and relevant information on violent extremism. Dr. Ozor also agreed with Mr. Basabose’sintervention on the need for political goodwill in dealing with violent extremism. However,22 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conferencehe advised that the goodwill requires investment in policy research, awareness creation andsensitization as well as advocacy. He called on governments to support the ATPS and its
partners in undertaking these actions in order to sustainably prevent and counter violent
extremism in the region and even beyond.
Ms. Evelyn Butichi raised the issue of gender inclusivity in the fight against radicalization. She
mentioned that female gender should not be left out in the fight against violent extremism asthat would be leaving out ‘voices that have not been heard’ since they equally have thepotential for being radicalized and causing mayhem in the society using the undue advantagethat they have
While still responding to the question on government regulations on religious activities, Mr.
Syndoph Endoni, recommended that the church and government should work hand-in-handfor the good of the citizens. He pointed out that a lot of people had used the sermons to suit
their selfish and nefarious needs noting that if the involvement of the government in religious
activities such as in approving sermons can help to enhance the security of the people then it
is worthy to be considered.
Dr. Ugoji Adanma in her response to the Panellists noted that one should not underestimate
the role of women in terrorism. She pointed out that there should be a program forderadicalization of female terrorists. She cautioned that the role of women in radicalization
should not be taken lightly. This according to her is because women are powerful andinfluential agents of change.
Dr. Charles Opiyo further noted that women undergo a lot of pain especially those whosechildren have been recruited by terrorist groups. He gave examples of women whose children
have been highlighted on media for having been involved in terrorism. He advised on the needfor governments to support research and advocacy activities aimed at PCVE in Kenya andregion as a whole. He informed the delegates that the government of Kenya has been holding
lectures to sensitize women and youth about violent extremism and how to prevent andcontrol it. These lectures have been obstructed by COVID-19 pandemic because physicalmeetings are no longer encouraged. He advised that there should be some innovative waysof conducting advocacy. He also suggested that there should be some support for research
institutions to help in the fight against violent extremism. He challenged the audience to comeup with proposals to enable the government to support sensitization activities. He challenges
researchers to find out more effective and innovative ways of engaging the youth andcommunities in the fight against violent extremism in the region.
Mr. Kevin Osido, from County Governance Watch, added that the government of Kenya had
made some efforts to address the menace of violent extremism by coming up with County
Action Plans (CAPs). However, he wondered how policy impacts can be measured.
23 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference4.2 Presentation of Conference Communique for Adoption by Mr. Alfred Nyambane, ATPS
Research Officer
Mr. Alfred Nyambane, presented the communique for adoption by thedelegates. He provided a summary of the observations made during theconference and highlighted the delegates’ resolutions. These areprovided in the communique found in Annex 3 of this document. In
summary, the delegates resolved as follows:i) There is need to consider social media literacy programmes to educate
the youth not to be easily lured through social media which is highly accessible nowadays.
It is important to harness the potential of technology and youth through social media
literacy programmes using online and offline digital peacebuilding infrastructures. The
governments need to use social media to plug in and convey useful messages.
ii) There is need for African scholars, practitioners and cyber-citizens to construct panAfrican narratives and discourses of resilience when representing terrorism throughimbibing African philosophies of Utu (humanity), Ujamaa (Unity) and Harambee(collective responsibility).
iii) There is need to eliminate grounds for radicalization by providing opportunities for the
youth. The “Kazi Kwa Vijana” (Work for Youth) programme in Kenya has helped cushion
youth from the economic mess caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but will it continue
beyond the COVID-19 period? There is need to use incubation hubs /digital hubs to keep
the youth occupied in the development of useful innovations.
iv) Introduction of Youth programmes/Youth service as a requirement before being allowed
to proceed with personal career goals has become very necessary. This would entrench
patriotism amongst the youth and provide them with extra technical skills thereby
empowering them further. Women also need to be brought into the dialogue given theirrole in either promoting or combating terrorism.
v) There is need to encourage the provision of social amenities such as playing grounds,
swimming pools, gyms and recreational centres that can keep the youth busy andoccupied.
vi) There is need to consider all possibilities and not just focus on the hotspots (traditional
recruitment hot spots). There is need to take all issues seriously and not as potential
threats by not only focusing on the hot spots in the fight against violent extremism but
also looking at the emerging sites when designing programmes aimed at curbing
terrorism.
vii) Terrorism knows no boundaries and a good example is the case of Mozambique wheresome Kenyans have been implicated. There is need to have concerted efforts across the

24 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conferenceregion and work together in counter-terrorism and prevention and countering violent
extremism.
viii) There is need to design programmes within the spectrum of the speed of recruitment aswell as consider the soft approach to combating violent extremism. This may include
mediation where all parties are brought together to dialogue and resolve issues.
ix) Consider regulating religious groups in a way that do not infringe on their fundamental
rights of worship for example by pre-approving sermons.
x) There is need for continuous research to clearly understand violent extremism as
information is very critical in the fight against violent extremism. A deeper understandingof online recruitment is required. This can only be provided through in-depth research.
xi) There is need to narrow the trust deficit in our communities. To this end, some community
policing initiatives such as “Nyumba Kumi Initiative” in Kenya, “Ujamaa” in Tanzania, and“Ubuntu” in South Africa etc. are highly encouraged.
xii) There is need to develop monitoring and evaluation systems that can be used to measureprogress as well as share results of interventions. These can also be used to measurepolicy impacts.
xiii) There is need to harmonize legal frameworks in the region as well as strengthen national
capacities holistically targeting all stakeholders. It is important to continue to collaborate
and share information in the fight against terrorism. It is not a fight for one country. Thereis need to innovate and make sure that the strategies used by the governments aresuperior to those of terrorists who also employ their own tactics.
There was No Objection to the adoption of the communique after it was presented to theconference delegates. The Communique therefore becomes a valid document on the way
forward towards preventing and countering violent extremism in Eastern Africa.

5. CLOSING SESSION
The closing remarks were made by the conference hosts. Dr Nicholas Ozor expressed his joy
and thanked the audience for their attendance and participation in the policy conference. He
highlighted the themes tackled in the conference and noted that they have been welladdressed. He also thanked the audience for adopting the conference communique before
welcoming Prof. Crispus Kiamba, Chairman, ATPS Board of Directors, to officially close theconference.
Prof. Kiamba appreciated the role played by the ATPS secretariat led by the Executive
Director, Dr. Nicholas Ozor in ensuring the success of the two-day conference. He also
appreciated all the partners and especially the Wilson Centre Africa Program for the great
support that they have provided to the ATPS and its partners that made the conference a
successful one. He called on the Eastern African governments to support the SVNP programin their work in the region and Africa as a whole. He finally thanked the Keynote Speaker, Mr.
25 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceOnno Koopmans for providing great insights for the conference and the Cabinet Secretary,
Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, Dr. Fred Matiang’i for
accepting to be the Chief Guest of Honour for the conference and for his wonderful addressthat provided more nuanced insights in the fight against violent extremism. Overall, hethanked all the delegates for their contributions to the policy conference on preventing andcountering violent extremism in the COVID-19 Era and noted that a great deal of knowledge
and good practices in PCVE has been learned and shared during the two-day conference.

26 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceANNEXES
Annex 1: Conference Program

THEME: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the COVID-19 Era
SVNP Eastern Africa Policy Conference Programme 7-8 December 2020, Crowne Plaza Hotel Nairobi,
Kenya
TIME

DAY 1: MONDAY, 7 December 2020

DAY 2: TUESDAY, 8 December 2020

08:0009:00

Arrival and Registration (Physical or Virtual)

Arrival and Registration (Physical or Virtual)

09:0010:50

Session 1: Opening Ceremony• Moderator: Helen Kezie-Nwoha, Director, Women’s
International Peace Centre, Uganda• Chair: Prof. Crispus Kiamba, Chair ATPS Board of
Directors• Welcoming Remarks from ATPS on Behalf of
E/Africa Partners – Dr. Nicholas Ozor, Executive
Director, African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS)• Welcoming Remarks from Wilson Centre - Dr.
Monde Muyangwa, Director, Africa Program
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Chair: Rt. Col. Joseph Nyamita• Keynote Address: “Preventing and Countering
Violent Extremism in the COVID-19 Era”- by Onno
Koopmans, Regional PCVE Coordinator East Africa,
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
Nairobi, Kenya.
• Official Opening by the Chief Guest of HonourThe Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior andCoordination of National Government,
Dr. Fred Matiangi, EGH.

County Executive Committee Member, Migori
County, Kenya
Recap of Day 1 Activities by Mr. Alfred
Nyambane, ATPS Researcher
Session 5: Thematic Paper Presentations:• Violent Extremism in the context of COVID19 : Issues, Impacts and Lessons, Dr. Fredrick
Ogenga, CMDPS• Strengthening Eastern Africa’s capacity for
PCVE: Options for the Way Forward, Mr.
Basabose Denis, Commissioner of Police,
Rwanda• Regional Mechanisms in Countering
Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Policy
options for Eastern Africa - Eugenia Kayitesi,
IPAR, Rwanda; and Yonas Adaye Adeto, IPSS
• The Place of Technology in Violent
Extremism in Africa : Promoting Or
Countering ? Prof. Walter Oyawa, NACOSTI
Facilitated Discussions - All delegates

10:50 –
11:00

GROUP PHOTO AND HEALTH BREAKHEALTH BREAK

11:00 –
12:00

Session 2: Perspectives from the Opening Keynote
Address

Chair: Bundi Mbaya, National Crime ResearchCenter (NCRC)

27 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceChair: Dr Nicholas Ozor, ATPS
Speakers:

12:00 –
13:00

Session 6: Thematic Paper Presentations:• US Policymaker TBC• Ambassador Martin Kimani, Director, National
Counterterrorism Centre, Kenya• Dr. Fredrick Ogenga, Center for Media, Democracy,
Peace & Security (CMDPS)-Rongo University• Elly Opondo, Program Director Champions of Peace• Gerald Wandera, Director, National Crime ResearchCenter (NCRC), Kenya• Prof. Walter Oyawa, DG National Commission for
Science and Technology (NACOSTI)
Session 3: Facilitated Discussions
Chair: Dr. Nicholas Ozor, ATPS
Speakers: All Delegates

13:00 –
14:00

Session 4: Understanding Violent Extremism inEastern Africa- Issues, Drivers, Facts and Figures
Speaker: Mr Njenga Miiri, Head of Resilience
National Counterterrorism Center, Kenya.

• The Role of Youth in Countering Violent
Extremism in Eastern Africa, Eli Opondo,
Champions of Peace; and Kennedy
Walusala, Regional Youth Forum for ICGLR• Challenges in preventing/countering
terrorism and violent extremism in Africa,
Helen Kezie-Nwoha, WIPC, Uganda• Religious radicalism and violent extremism inAfrica, Syndoph Endoni, Nigeria HighCommission, Nairobi, Kenya
Facilitated Discussions
Session 7: High-level policy dialogue on PCVEin Eastern Africa
Chair: Prof Crispus Kiamba
Panelists:• Ambassador Martin Kimani• Prof. Walter Oyawa,• Rt. Col Joseph Nyamita• Dr. Monde Muyangwa• Basabose Denis• Njenga Miiri
Session 8: Presentation and adoption ofConference Communiqué
Presenter: Dr Nicholas Ozor
Closing Remarks by the Hosts – Wilson
Centre, CMDPS, ATPS

Facilitated Q&A
14:00 15:00

LUNCH BREAK and End of Day One

LUNCH BREAK and End of Day Two
End of Conference and Departure

28 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceAnnex 2: List of Delegates
S/
n

NAME

INSTITUTION

EMAIL

1.

Dr. Nicholas
Ozor
Prof. Fredrick
OgengaAfrican Technology Policy
Studies network (ATPS)
Center for Media,
Democracy, Peace &Security
African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Embassy of the Kingdomof the Netherlands
National Counterterrorism Centre
National Crime ResearchCenter (NCRC)
National Crime ResearchCenter (NCRC)
National Crime ResearchCenter (NCRC)
National Commission for
Science Technology andInnovation (NACOSTI)Champions of Peace

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Prof. Crispus
KiambaFelix Musila
AlfredNyambaneMark KImani

8.

Onno
Koopmans
Njenga Miiri

9.

Bundi Mbaya

7.

10. Isaiah
Nyambariga

11. Vincent
Opondo12. Prof. Walter
Oyawa

13. Elly Opondo
14. Onno
Koopmans

15. Ambassador
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

MartinKimani
KennedyWalusala
CastroBarazaCaleb
GichuhiYonas Adaye
Adeto
Hellen KezieNwoha

29 | P r o c e e d i n g s

COUNTRY

nozor@atpsnet.org

Physical/OnlineAttendancePhysicalogengafredrick@gmail.com

PhysicalKenya

crispuskiamba@gmail.com

PhysicalKenya

fmusila@atpsnet.org

PhysicalKenyaanyambane@atpsnet.org

PhysicalKenyamkimani@atpsnet.org

Physical

Kenya

Onno.koopmans.minbuzi.nl

PhysicalKenyamiiri@counterterrorism.go.ke

OnlineKenya

kmbaya5@gmail.com

OnlineKenya

isaiahndege@crimeresearch.go.ke

OnlineKenya

OnlineKenya

oyawaw@yahoo.com

OnlineKenya

info@cop-k.org

OnlineKenya

Embassy of the Kingdomof the Netherlands
National Counterterrorism Centre

Onno.koopmans.minbuzi.nl

PhysicalKenyam.kimani@citizensupport.co.keOnlineKenya

ICGLR Youth Forum

kenwalusala@gmail.com

Physical

Kenya

Peacenet Kenya

castrobaraza@ymail.com

OnlineKenya

BuildUp Kenya

caleb@howtobuildup.org

OnlineKenya

Institute for Peace andSecurity Studies
Women’s International
Peace Centre

yonas.a@ipss-addis.org

OnlineEthiopia

khelen@wipc.org

OnlineUgandaof the SVNP East African ConferenceKenya21. Dr. Aggee
ShyakaMugabe22. Eugenie
Kayatesi
23. Dr. Monde
Muyangwa

24. Hannah
Akuiyibo

25. Prof. Walter
Oyawa

26. Isaiah Ndege
27. Moses Osiro
28. Bonny

Centre for Conflict
Management (CCM) of the
University of Rwanda
Institute of Policy Analysis
and Research
Woodrow Wilson
International Centre for
Scholars
Woodrow Wilson
International Centre for
ScholarsNational Commission for
Science Technology andInnovation (NACOSTI)
National Crime ResearchCentre (NCRC)

amshayka@gmail.com

OnlineRwandae.kayitesi@ipar-rwanda.org

OnlineRwandaMonde.muyangwa@wilsoncenter.org

OnlineUSA

Hanna.akuiyibo@wilsoncenter.org

OnlineUSA

walter.oyawa@nacosti.go.ke

OnlineKenya

isaiahndege@crimeresearch.go.ke

OnlineKenya

Menno Peace andReconciliation Initiatives(MEPERI)
Oracle solutions limited

adamanyus@gmail.com

OnlineKenyaalaneme@gmail.com

OnlineNigeria

Innovations for Policy
Action (IPA)
Rwanda National Police
Service
Policy Researcher

dwarira@povertyactionlab.orgOnlineKenya

OnlineRwandangoz@yahoo.com

OnlineUSA

Nation Media Groupwauma@nationmedia.co.ke

OnlineKenya

International Peace andSecurity Consultant
Kijiji Yeetu
Triple Strand Global
Solutions
The George Washington
University
County Governance Watch(CGW)
African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Rural Aids Prevention andDevelopment
Organization (RAPADO)
Renew Our Earthmysticasabiiti@yahoo.com

OnlineEthiopia

rhawi@cgwkenya.org
Charles.dalcourt@triplestrands.com
tessamsnyder@gmail.com

OnlineOnlineKenya
USA

OnlineUSAemiriti@cgwkenya.org

OnlineKenya

okemwajosephat@gmail.com

OnlineKenyapaul.omole@rapadokenya.org

OnlineKenyaugojiaeze@gmail.com

OnlineUSA

Ethiopian Civil Service
University

getachewzerug@gmail.com

OnlineEthiopia

Alaneme29. Diana Warira
30. BasaboseDennis
31. Ngozi
Onyejeli
32. Winnie Auma

33. Stella Sabiiti
34. Rapudo Hawi
35. Charles
Dalcourt
36. Tessa Snyder

37. Edna Miriti
38. Josephat
Mong’are39. Paul Omole

40. Dr. Ugoji
Adanma Eze,
Esq
41. Getachew
Zeru
Gebrekidan
30 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference42. Sharon

Science Communications

sharonatieno@gmail.com

OnlineKenya

African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Royal United Services
Institute (RUSI)
Judiciary (Advocate)mimulia@atpsnet.org

OnlineKenya

iannjuguna@atpsnet.org

OnlineKenya

christopherh@rusi.org

OnlineUSA

nfitzwanga3@yahoo.com

OnlineKenya

47. William
Owande48. Winton Zak
Nyambega
49. Simon
Keremeri
50. Syndoph
Endoni51. Bemtareni
Benjamin
52. Godwin
Ibrahim53. Marion
Ngare
54. Dr. Charles
Opiyo
55. Chinelo
Ndego

African Technology
Policy Studies Network
Association of Young
Criminology
Mescop Peace Building
Network
Nigerian Mission

wowande@atpsnet.org

PhysicalKenya

zakwinton@yahoo.com

PhysicalKenyakeremerii@kemereri.com

Physical

Kenya

syndoph@jakare.com

PhysicalNigeria

Nigerian Mission

bemtareni@gmail.com

PhysicalNigeria

Nigerian Mission

godex101@yahoo.com

PhysicalNigeria

NCTC

mngeci39@gmail.com

Physical

Kenya

NCTC

copiyo@counterterrorism.go.
keChinelo.ndigo@gmail.com

Physical

Kenya

PhysicalKenya

31 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference

Anyango43. Mathew
Imulia44. Ian Njuguna

45. Christopher
Hockey46. Nakili
Fitzwanga

NIDO’R

Annex 3: Conference Communique
COMMUNIQUE
THE FIRST SOUTHERN VOICES NETWORK FOR PEACEBUILDING (SVNP) EASTERN AFRICA
POLICY CONFERENCE
7-8 DECEMBER 2020 AT CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL,NAIROBI, KENYA.
Theme: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the COVID-19 Era
Preamble
As terrorism mutates in Africa, there is need for coordinated efforts at the level of research, policy
and practice in order to formulate workable regional interventions that put into consideration
changing dynamics occasioned by corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is rapidly creating
an enabling environment for luring and targeting unsuspecting citizens into radicalization and violent
extremism more aggressively owing to the increased level of exposure and time spent on social media
platforms in the context of lockdown measures in countries in East Africa. Research and policy
direction, as well as practical interventions, should be re-oriented towards supporting key pillars in
Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) and set realistic goals that are going to reducethe impacts of terrorism in Eastern Africa in the short term as well as counter other systemic andstructural factors that are responsible for extremism in the long term. To this end, the African
Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) hosted the first-ever Southern Voices Network for
Peacebuilding (SVNP) Eastern Africa Policy Conference from 7-8 November 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya.
This conference was organized in collaboration with other partners including the Wilson Center, USA;
Centre for Democracy Peace and Security (CMDPS), Rongo University, Kenya; Centre for Conflict
Management, University of Rwanda, Women International Peace Center, Uganda; Addis Ababa
University, Ethiopia and the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research, Rwanda.
The delegates observed that:• The issues of violent extremism and radicalization have been a major issue in the Eastern
African Region. This has grown to even cross border sites not traditionally known forrecruitment. The emerging new sites include Migori in Kenya where extremist groups aretargeting to recruit new members. There have been complaints by parents about teenagers
joining strange groups and disappearing for certain periods of time or even calling themselves
strange names characteristics of children becoming recruited or radicalized.
• Religious literacy is a major issue. Misinterpretation of religious teachings is very common andthe leaders of these religious groups have a big role to play to prevent it as such situation
usually leads to terrorism acts. Extreme religious ideologies need to be addressed throughInter-faith dialogue groups. The action plans need to involve all actors on the ground such as
opinion leaders, bloggers, business people, civil society and the relevant government agencies
among others.
• Introduction of recruits to the terrorist groups is usually done by friends, peers and somereligious leaders. In some countries where the factional authority is the extremist groups, theyouth are easily recruited as they deem joining the groups to be similar to joining the policeor the army.
• Gender issues are also critical. Youth vulnerability is high especially with the emergence ofsocial media and the internet where they have access to everything and anything they arelooking for. When youth are not taken care of, this becomes a serious societal problem. Young
women/girls have also been involved in violent extremism as perpetrators or as victims andtheir participation cannot be underestimated/overemphasized.
32 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference

•
•

•

•

•

•

•
•
•

Increased access to the internet has exposed youth to increased access to content that may
lead to self-radicalization or has made access to negative influence from elsewhere very easy.
Low education level/ illiteracy has been noted to have contributed to high levels ofradicalization and recruitment to the extremist groups. It was also noted that the highly
educated people are also involved in violent extremism as was the case in Garissa University
attack in Kenya.
There is not enough data or research conducted to provide accurate facts and figures about
violent extremism especially in the COVID-19 era. Research needs to be conducted toascertain some of the assumptions made regarding radicalization and recruitment, especiallyin the COVID-19 Era. The pandemic has not stopped terrorism. In fact, it has increased it incertain Eastern African countries such as Somalia.
Conspiracy theories have emerged around COVID-19. Such as allegations that COVID-19 is abiological weapon and/or can be modified to be used as a weapon. Lockdowns and curfews
have been used to the advantage of terrorists to recruit or strengthen their presence on the
ground in certain areas/countries. However, data is still required to prove these.
Trust in the security/government systems connects with the speed of recruitment. It is
important to work with the community to bridge the trust deficit. Overreaction by thegovernment affects the confidence of the people especially with regard to COVID-19. COVID
19 has created divided attention with very little attention being given to counter violent
extremism.
No single driver can be attributed to a particular terrorist act. There is usually a combinationof factors that drive violent extremism. Marginalization (both perceived or real) has made theyouth or people feel neglected by government (regional marginalization).
Poverty/unemployment, desperation, and hopelessness cause youth to be drawn with apromise of economic benefits by the terrorists. Adventurous spirit in trying new things
especially among the youth has also been cited as a driver.
Corruption has been cited as one of the key drivers of terrorism, especially at the border points
where terrorists may be allowed access to essential national documents and identifications in
exchange for money.
Poor understanding of terrorism and extremism by the national institutions is also a major
impediment in the fight against terrorism.
Technology can be used to fight or promote terrorism or violent extremism depending on how
it is used.

Based on the foregoing observations, the delegates therefore resolved that:• There is need to consider social media literacy programmes as an avenue to educate the youth
not to be easily lured through social media which is highly accessible nowadays. It is importantto harness the potential of technology, youth, and youth language through social media
literacy programmes using online and offline digital peacebuilding infrastructures. The
governments need to use social media to plug in and convey useful messages to this target
group.
• There is need for African scholars, practitioners and cyber-citizens to construct pan-African
narratives and discourses of resilience when representing terrorism through imbibing African
philosophies of Utu (humanity), Umoja (Unity) and Harambee (collective responsibility).
• There is need to eliminate grounds for radicalization by providing opportunities for the youth.
The “Kazi Kwa Vijana” (Work for Youth) programme in Kenya has helped cushion youth fromthe economic mess caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but will it continue beyond the COVID19 period? There is need to use incubation hubs /digital hubs to keep the youth occupied in
the development of useful innovations.
• Introduction of Youth programmes/Youth service among young university graduates as arequirement before being allowed to proceed with their personal career goals has been
33 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference

•
•

•
•
•
•

•
•
•

•

necessitated. This would entrench patriotism amongst the youth and provide them with extra
technical skills thereby empowering them further. Women also need to be brought into the
dialogue given their role in either promoting or combating terrorism.
There is need to encourage the provision of social amenities such as playing grounds,
swimming pools, gyms and recreational centers that will keep the youth busy and occupied.
There is need to consider all possibilities and not just focus on the hotspots (traditional
recruitment hot spots). All issues relating to terrorism should be taken and dealt with seriously
and not as potential threats. There is need to not only focus on the hot spots in the fightagainst violent extremism but also look at the emerging sites when designing programmes
aimed at curbing terrorism.
Terrorism knows no boundaries and a good example is the case of Mozambique where some
Kenyans have been implicated. There is need to have concerted efforts across the region andwork together in preventing and countering violent extremism.
There is need to design programmes within the spectrum of the speed of recruitment as wellas consider the soft approach to combating violent extremism. This may include mediation
where all parties involved are brought together to dialogue and resolve issues.
Consideration should be given to regulating religious groups that have been fingered in violent
extremism in a way that does not infringe on their fundamental rights of worship for example
by pre-approving their sermons.
There is need for continuous research to provide more understanding and insights aroundviolent extremism and how best to prevent and counter it in Eastern Africa. Information
sharing is critical. A deeper understanding of online recruitment is required and this can only
be provided through in-depth research.
There is need to narrow the trust deficit in our communities. To this end, some community
policing initiatives such as “Nyumba Kumi Initiative” in Kenya, “Ujamaa” in Tanzania, and“Ubuntu” in South Africa etc. are highly encouraged.
There is need to develop monitoring and evaluation systems that can be used to measureprogress as well as share results of interventions. These can also be used to measure policy
impacts.
There is need to harmonize legal frameworks in the region as well as strengthen national
capacities holistically targeting all relevant stakeholders. It is important to continue tocollaborate and share information in the fight against terrorism. It is not a fight for one
country. There is need to innovate and make sure that the strategies used by the governments
are superior to those of terrorists who also employ their own tactics.
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), its partners, and the Southern Voices
Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) program should be supported by relevant governments anddevelopment partners to undertake further research and policy advocacy actions aimed ataddressing violent extremism more sustainably in the region.

Appreciation:
Delegates expressed their appreciation to ATPS and partners for organizing and hosting the very firstever SVNP conference.

34 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceAnnex 4: Livestreaming Report
Livestreaming Technical Report presented by Buzz Planet Studios
Introduction
Buzz Planet Studios was awarded the contract to provide the livestreaming services, photography andvideography services to the 1st SVNP Eastern Africa Regional Policy Conference held in Nairobi, Kenyafrom 7-8 December 2020. The conference was a hybrid event (physical and virtual).

The deliverables of the contract were:Deliverables
Conduct simulation/dry-run of the event
Provide livestreaming, videography and photography services of the 2020 SVNP
Eastern Africa Regional Policy Conference
Submission of a Group picture (A3 size, framed) with partner logos and name of theevent and 20 clear quality pictures (Soft copy)
Provide 20 high resolution pictures of the conference
Submission of the final fully edited HD video of the entire conference in a web transfer
formatProvide ALL the raw footage of the entire event in web transfer

Conference Format
•
•

•
•

The conference format adopted was Zoom.
In addition, the event team crew recorded the entire conference proceedings and streamed
it live on the ATPS YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClg4jQaVKweqODDLPOOwCg) and Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/atps_network105564534279362).
Project website: https://atpsnet.org/default-item/first-southern-voices-network-for-peacebuilding-svnp-eastern-africa-regional-policy-conference/
The event was live tweeted on Twitter using the hashtag #SVNPEastAfricaConference

35 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceConference Poster

36 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceConference Registration Form-Online

37 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceSocial Media Management
There was a twitter hashtag developed to enhance the participation towards the event#SVNPEastAfricaRegionalConference. The event was also streamed live on the ATPS YouTube channel,
on Facebook live and also tweeted live on Twitter.
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClg-4jQaVKweqODDLPOOwCg• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atps_network-105564534279362
Twitter handle: @atpsnetwork•

Project website: https://atpsnet.org/default-item/first-southern-voices-network-for-peacebuilding-svnp-eastern-africa-regional-policy-conference/

Twitter Highlights
•
•
•
•
•

Number of Tweets: 13
Tweet Impressions: 573
Engagements: 79
Engagement rate: 13.8 %Top tweet: 600 impressions

38 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceExamples of Tweets Tweeted during the Conference (pictorial)

39 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceYouTube

40 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceZoom recordings Links••••

Pictures Link: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1qwNQUMbSD8mIiFQlBrhXRGFkPa5VNWB
Youtube Video Link Day 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFfSz3LkEVU
Youtube Video Link Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkwZGdkJ6d8
Facebook Live Link Day 1:
https://www.facebook.com/105564534279362/videos/378814323222165•

Facebook Live Link Day 2:
https://www.facebook.com/105564534279362/videos/2490168657943987•

Zoom Recordings Link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15FXM8zaFM3Rt5yFKnwrq98fDBiC4xoA?usp=sharing

41 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceInteractive chats from the online participants

42 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference43 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceScreen grab of the online participants

Policy dialogue session with the panellists

44 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference

The conference registration opened on 18/11/2020 and closed on 8/12/2020 with 107 individuals
having registered.

45 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African ConferenceConference Group Photo

Challenges
•
•

•
•
•

The platform used (Zoom) has very limited capabilities in terms of analytics and features
Some of the online participants are not very well versed with virtual conference participation
etiquette e.g some of the participants were on making their contributions while driving andhence their cameras were not stable and the sound not audible enoughSome of the participants had poor backgrounds in terms of video quality
The hotel projector failed at some point causing a slight delay
Some of the participants were not available online during their turn to make theirpresentations

Recommendations•••

Allow the use of more advanced virtual conference platforms like Vimeo
Make sure that the hotel has a standby projector incase of failure to avoid delays once live
Virtual participants need to be briefed properly on proper conference etiquette before theconference starts

46 | P r o c e e d i n g sof the SVNP East African Conference