Many young Africans drawn to extremist groups know “little to nothing” about religious texts and interpretations, a UN study has found.<\/p>\n
The survey, the first of its kind in Africa, profiled nearly 500 voluntary recruits to militant groups including al-Shabab and Boko Haram.<\/p>\n
Finding a job is “the most acute need at the time of joining a group,” the report finds.<\/p>\n
It also points to government action as a “tipping point”.<\/p>\n
Most of those surveyed reported unhappy childhoods and a lack of parental supervision.<\/p>\n
Researchers from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) spoke to recruits in Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Cameroon and Niger to compile the report.<\/p>\n
Al-Shabab is based in Somalia but often stages attacks in Kenya, while Nigeria’s Boko Haram group has also spread to neighbouring Niger and Cameroon.<\/p>\n
The researchers also interviewed people of similar backgrounds to those recruited, but who did not become radicalised.<\/p>\n
Based on these sample groups, they say that receiving “at least six years of religious schooling [is] shown to reduce the likelihood of joining an extremist group by as much as 32%”.<\/p>\n
Recruitment is “predominantly face-to-face” rather than online as outside Africa, and the report says that many recruits come from borderland areas that have “suffered generations of marginalisation”.<\/p>\n
The killing or arrest of a family member or friend is a key trigger, according to the report, with over 70% of interviewees saying this or another form of government action was the “tipping point” before the final decision to join a militant group.<\/p>\n
Intervention at a local level is the best way to prevent young people from being radicalised, the UNDP report authors say.<\/p>\n
They suggest “community-led initiatives aimed at social cohesion” and “amplifying the voices of local religious leaders who advocate tolerance”.<\/p>\n
“The messenger… is as important as the message,” says UNDP Africa Director Abdoulaye Mar Dieye.<\/p>\n
“That trusted local voice is also essential to reducing the sense of marginalisation that can increase vulnerability to recruitment,” he adds.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many young Africans drawn to extremist groups know “little to nothing” about religious texts and interpretations, a UN study has found. The survey, the first of its kind in Africa, profiled nearly 500 voluntary recruits to militant groups including al-Shabab and Boko Haram. Finding a job is “the most acute need at the time of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[5225,751],"yoast_head":"\n