Introduction
Regional security responses to violent extremism in the Sahel-Sahara are necessary, but have been limited in their scope and efficacy. This is in part because they have historically addressed the symptoms of violence rather than the holistic range of factors that incite and foster it. Violence and violent extremism are complex phenomena that vary from one region to another and demand contextually specific solutions. In order to transform the conditions deemed conducive to violent extremism, regional players at every level must commit to serious investment in peacebuilding and peaceful coexistence.
The ongoing need for a forum for exchanging ideas and developing multilateral approaches to violence prevention in the Sahel-Sahara motivated the International Peace Institute (IPI), the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and the African Union’s African Centre for the Study and Research of Terrorism (ACSRT) to organize the third round of Regional Conversations for the Prevention of Violent Extremism, with support from the government of Algeria. This meeting was officially opened by the Algerian minister of foreign affairs and brought together more than seventy experts and practitioners from North, West, and Central Africa: representatives of governments and defense and security forces; political, religious, and traditional authorities; members of civil society; representatives of the media and cultural institutions; and representatives of regional and international organizations and partners. Participants agreed that violent extremism is on the rise, a reality that should motivate those in power to find effective solutions.
The Regional Conversations were introduced in 2016 in conjunction with the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism launched by the secretarygeneral of the United Nations. The plan called for “a comprehensive approach, to include not only essential security-based measures to combat terrorism, but also systematic prevention measures that directly address the causes of violent extremism.”1 Prioritizing a regional focus and diverse participant perspectives, with an emphasis on dialogue, this initiative provides a forum for discussing the prevention of violent extremism (PVE) and connects actors from varied backgrounds and initiatives representing concrete, programmatic alternatives to violent extremism.
The Algiers conversations began with an analysis of factors driving violent extremism. Participants then addressed factors that contribute to resilience and positive peace. Finally, they shared violence-prevention measures taken by different regional actors in order to “turn the tide” and exit the cycle of violence. The conversations were guided by the need to produce concrete recommendations by and for practitioners in the region, based on themes identified during previous conversations: state-society relations; political participation; inclusive dialogue as a transformative tool; cross-border socioeconomic and political dynamics; the role of media in prevention efforts; the contribution of defense and security forces; and the potential for culture, education, and citizenship to be used as tools for prevention.