In March 2012, the Task Force on Legal Cooperation Against Terrorism in the IGAD Subregion explored innovative ways to rapidly scale up legal cooperation against terrorism and related transnational crime. This task force of eight senior officials from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) sought to identify challenges for IGAD member states in the effective implementation of the IGAD Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition Conventions and develop concrete recommendations on additional practical, concrete steps to strengthen legal cooperation against terrorism in the IGAD subregion.
This report presents the final observations and recommendations of that task force. It is based on consultations with delegations from IGAD and all IGAD member states and discussions with a number of external partners. To further understand the legislative dynamics of cross-border law enforcement cooperation, the task force met with senior Ethiopian, Kenyan, and Ugandan members of parliament. Institutional, legal, and operational issues were discussed with diplomatic, criminal justice, law enforcement, military, and intelligence officials. Over the course of its consultations, the task force generally focused on four main areas of discussion: mechanisms for internal cooperation, mechanisms for interstate cooperation; challenges to internal and external cooperation, and opportunities for subregional engagement.
This report examine issues of money laundering and terrorism financing in East Africa, which pose a significant threat to security and development in the subregion.
Both the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group have identified a number of states in the subregion as demonstrating weak implementation of international standards on anti–money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) issues. There is consequently a growing recognition that states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) stand to benefit in multiple ways from a more concerted effort to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. There is also, however, a chronic limitation of data and knowledge about the problems of money laundering and terrorism financing and about AML/CFT vulnerabilities, risks, and capacities in the subregion.
In this study, the IGAD Security Sector Program (ISSP) and CGCC set out to provide a more detailed and nuanced analysis of AML/CFT challenges and opportunities in the IGAD region. The study responds to repeated requests by the ISSP’s and CGCC’s partners in the subregion who sought assistance in obtaining baseline data about money laundering risks and AML capacity in the region and guidance on the data’s potential use for CFT efforts. Experts from the East African and Horn of Africa subregion coordinated and conducted the project and, where appropriate, drew on outside expertise. The study was prepared by independent researchers with support and guidance from the ISSP and CGCC and an informal advisory group of interested officials, academics, and business professionals from the subregion.
Informal money transfer services offer a resilient source of income for some 40 percent of Somali households that lack other meaningful sources of income, let alone access to basic financial services. With $1.0–1.5 billion being remitted from the diaspora each year, remittances serve as a vital lifeline to Somali communities. Yet growing concern over terrorist and criminal exploitation of poorly regulated remittance flows—as demonstrated by Barclays decision to discontinue the accounts of money transfer companies by the end of September 2013—threatens to place the livelihoods of millions of already vulnerable Somalis in jeopardy. Capitalizing on Trust explores the complex economic, social, and political impacts of Somali remittances and offers ideas for improving their regulation, including combating money laundering and countering terrorism financing, and harnessing the power of remittances to help rebuild Somalia.
As part of the Global Center’s expanding work on transnational threats, this policy brief examines the effects of “dirty money” on security and governance in West Africa and the Sahel. Illicit money, particularly from drug trafficking, is rapidly undermining the region’s political and economic governance, infecting legislatures, police forces, militaries, courts, and presidential offices, as well as chambers of commerce, in countries across the region. The brief considers the nature and provenance of these problems and some unorthodox ideas to tackle them.
In this policy brief, Integrity Research and Consultancy presents innovative tools and methodologies for monitoring and evaluating counterterrorism programming. The brief looks at three specific monitoring and evaluation tool kits in common use among the research and development communities, and how, through their use, practitioners may gain new insights in measuring the effectiveness of prevention efforts.
Fragile states offer sites of competitive advantage for militant organizations, criminal networks, and political leaders. Collaboration among them may benefit all three—financing militancy, protecting crime, and securing political control. Yet, the international community currently lacks a coherent approach to tackling organized crime in conflict-affected communities. This report, published by the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre, argues that there are normative, analytical, and practical obstacles to the development of an effective response. The report offers a series of practical recommendations for developing a more strategic response.
This policy brief looks at how a culture of peaceful cohabitation between diverse Kenyan communities has been threatened in recent years by terrorism and violent extremism. The brief describes efforts to prevent radicalization in the country, particularly among Kenyan youth, and explores opportunities for expanding counterradicalization programming throughout the region.
This policy brief explores ideas for programs to counter violent extremist ideologies and approaches to dissuade youth from joining violent extremist groups. The brief delves into factors of social alienation and discrimination that increase identity seeking and examines the salience and resonance of violent extremist groups’ appeals to identity seekers. It concludes by exploring the potential role of cultural production policies as inoculation as well as diversion strategies and by offering some additional steps to effectively reorient cultural sector policies and reforms to reduce youth vulnerability to violent extremist and terrorist group radicalization.
This policy brief looks at the role of the Internet in violent radicalization. Terrorists increasingly draw inspiration, reinforcement, support, and guidance from a variety of online sources. The brief provides an overview of the challenges this poses to effective counterterrorism efforts, while arguing that the Internet also offers a potent tool for countering violent radicalization. The brief offers key stakeholders examples of how they can use the Internet more effectively to prevent and counter violent radicalization.
This policy brief examines the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Humanitarian Law Project v. Holder and its potential impact on public and private actors that engage with terrorist organizations to promote peace and development. The brief notes that the decision has left many international actors uncertain as to whether their routine activities, particularly in conflict situations, could result in criminal prosecution or a civil suit under U.S. law. This uncertainty is exacerbated by international counterterrorism measures that require states to prohibit a broad range of support activities for terrorist organizations without requiring exemptions for humanitarian, development, or peacekeeping actors. The brief argues that there is a need for greater clarity in U.S. and international law to isolate those that should be prosecuted for material support and to guide the conduct of those who, in their efforts to promote peace and development, must engage terrorist organizations.
