How the Coronavirus Increases Terrorism Threats in the Developing World
This food scarcity has led to protests in Abuja and food stampedes to collect food supplies from the government in Lagos, Nigeria. People are frustrated with the government’s response in dealing with the pandemic and its inability to provide essential food for all who need it.
Terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram, an organization dedicated to the creation of an Islamic state within Nigeria, are actively using the grief caused by the coronavirus to strengthen their campaigns of violence. Boko Haram is known for recruiting unemployed young adults from families who live in poverty without sufficient food. The group is now increasing its recruitment of young men to carry out ambushes, kidnappings and bombings in the region.
These efforts have resulted in renewed violence across the Lake Chad region, where a recent Boko Haram attack against the Nigerian military killed 47.
In neighboring Chad, the group ambushed a large group of Chadian soldiers, killing 92. It was the deadliest attack ever on Chad’s military.
Even as Nigeria is gradually lifting lockdown measures, unemployment is likely to persist, diminishing people’s ability to afford basic goods such as food.
This pattern of violence is extending to other war-torn areas. Mozambique and Mali, for example, are experiencing an increase in attacks from Islamist insurgents in the wake of the pandemic. It is likely that food insecurity brought on by the coronavirus pandemic is playing a role there as well.
Increasing Violence in Asia
In Asia, Pakistan was experiencing a food crisis before the pandemic began, with 60% of the population facing food insecurity because of drought and poor economic conditions.
Now, there are over 48,000 positive COVID-19 cases in the country. Lockdown measures are making it difficult for day laborers and tradesmen to earn a living, and hunger is an even greater immediate concern.
The government’s efforts to provide food to its citizens may not be able to meet the need. Particularly worrisome are the one-third of Pakistani citizens who are illiterate and face difficulty reading and applying for aid.
The worsening conditions in Pakistan brought on by the coronavirus are causing an increase in terrorism.
The Pakistani-based terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are currently approaching people who have been affected by the coronavirus and offering to provide essential services and assistance. In return, they gain the loyalty of local populations and access to a new pool of recruits for their efforts to set up an Islamist government in the contested territory of Kashmir.
The effort by the two terrorist groups has led to an increase in the number of terrorist training camps in the region. Indian intelligence sources also indicate that the groups, along with their ally Hizbul Mujahideen, may send terrorists into northern India in an effort to seize the contested land from the Indian government.
We are seeing similar recruitment tactics in other parts of the continent.
In Turkey, Islamic State recruiters are targeting migrants from Turkmenistan who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. The Islamic State frequently recruits unemployed and disillusioned individuals to join its efforts to create an independent state dedicated to the teachings of its extremist brand of Sunni Islam.
Across the developing world, the coronavirus is magnifying existing societal problems, worsening food and financial shortages that give rise to terrorist violence.
Nisha Bellinger is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University. Kyle Kattelman is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Fairleigh Dickinson University. This article is published courtesy of The Conversation.
