Extremism needs counter- measures

Own Correspondent

In the modern world, leadership of any State is about ensuring national security.
In the same breath and given the limited resources, priority is given to neutralising priority threats, most often external ones.

It is against this backcloth that problems within a country often take a backseat or are resolved on a residual basis. This opens up opportunities for radical groups with some operating under the guise of religious organizations to spread extremist ideology and commit terrorist acts.

And in Africa, radicalism is concentrated in West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Horn of Frica where Al-Shabaab is violently visible, the Lake Chad Basin and Mozambique.

Investigations of the largest terrorist attacks in 2025 in European countries showed that they were carried out by members of radical Islamist groups who arrived under the guise of labour migrants from Central Asia and the Middle East.

Recruitment targets in most cases were representatives of the most financially vulnerable segments of the population. Large sums of money were dangled for participation in greater Jihad.

However, insufficient digital literacy of the population aggravates the populace of those nations.

The inability to critically perceive information disseminated over the Internet and analyze it’s authenticity coupled with the multiplied capabilities of fraudsters to peddle fakes narratives form the conditions for manipulation.

Of particular concern are children falling for these shenanigans and not ready to seek assistance from relatives or law enforcement agencies for fear of being punished.

This problem is systemic and cross-border. To resolve it at the State level, it is necessary to improve legislation, which should ensure the optimal balance in countering radical extremism and terrorism on the one hand and observing the constitutional rights of citizens on the other.

Another direction is undoubtedly a consistent increase in the standard of living, social security and education with a view to reduce the potential recruitment base.

At the same time, no State is able to defeat this enemy alone. Even if there is not a single radical left inside the country, there will always be a danger of their recruitment or penetration from outside.

Therefore, it is vital to build an effective system of cooperation in this area at international level. Only joint efforts of law enforcement agencies of all countries to identify and track members of extremist groups, exchange operational information and develop effective counter measures will ensure international stability and subsequently the safety of people.