The Effects of Government Policies on the Escalation of Terrorism: The Case of Somalia

The rise of terrorist organizations has become a threat to African countries, for most nations have fallen due to terrorism. This situation has become worse in Somalia where terror organizations have taken over the nation due to its government policies and local conflicts. Terror organizations target such nations, for they do not possess the measures to combat organized crime or terrorism. This thesis sought to study how terror organizations manipulate local African conflicts and the government policies in place. It further sought to use Somalia as the main case study. This thesis employed different researches that have been conducted regarding the nature of terrorism in African nations by focusing on Somalia. It evaluated extremist groups including Al Qaeda and Al Shabaab. According to the study, the instability associated with poor government policies makes it difficult for Somalia to deal with the terror groups. The study established that Somalia has corrupt leaders therefore, unable to cater to the needs of society but instead focus on their interests. Also, the research implied that the government is failing to secure the nation from foreigners, which increases terror attacks. The government is failing because it cannot regulate the financing of the terror groups, and some leaders have chosen to side with the terrorists instead of fighting against them. The implications of the research are for the idea that the success of Somalia and other African countries in fighting terrorism is the government. Therefore, the leaders in charge of the country should come together to fight terrorism and also make international countries their allies to help them fight the challenge as they have counter-terrorist solid attack systems. Besides, international countries are financially stable, have stable governance, and have solid military experience compared to African states.