Abstract
Africa continues to experience persistent terrorist activity. As technology has continued to evolve and become increasingly intertwined with international politics, Africa's security challenges have intensified. Through qualitative document analysis, this article unpacks the counter-terrorism-technology nexus and investigates whether Africa's counter-terrorism regime has kept pace with these developments. The nexus refers to the intersection between technological developments and their implications for terrorism and counter-terrorism. Using a three-stage assessment framework developed by the authors, the article assesses Africa's readiness to respond to the increasing use of technology by terrorist groups. Indicators for this framework are awareness, policy means and action. The African Union (AU) serves as this article's case study. The findings indicate that the AU demonstrates awareness of technology-enabled terrorist activity, but significant gaps remain in terms of policy instruments and implementation. Finally, the article identifies several challenges and opportunities associated with advancing the counter-terrorism-technology nexus in Africa.