What Pushes (and Pulls) People to Violent Extremism? – A Look at Nigeria & the Lake Chad Basin
Channel: Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Date: 2019-08-16

"There is frequently a tipping point—some moment at which the decision is reached to depart from being aggrieved and perhaps … sympathetic [to extremist violence] to actually participating. For the vast majority of people, that tipping point is an experience of state violence."

Dr. Brandon Kendhammer follows Brig. Gen. Saleh Bala's talk (see link below) with his own outline of the factors driving violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin. Among the "push-factors" he identifies are an experience state violence, economic need, and community insecurity. "Pull-factors" include financial incentives, desire for adventure or status, ideology, and message. All of these work together to create environments more or less conducive to a person's decision to engage in extremist violence.

Dr. Kendhammer notes the epistemological challenges to coming to a full understanding of why people join violent extremist (VE) groups, and emphasizes the need for research that compares the profiles and experiences of people who have joined such groups with those with similar profiles who have not.

In northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin, VE groups are especially characterized by their adaptability, and approaches to countering them must be adaptable as well. Dr. Kendhammer looks at distinct periods in the history of Boko Haram, and how military strategies have evolved in response.

To watch Brig. Gen. Saleh Bala's talk, click here:
https://youtu.be/aMQZblHYMEE

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