Unpacking Terrorism, Revolution and Insurgency in Yemen: Real and Imagined Threats to Regional Security
Recent months have seen a seeming escalation in the international threat posed by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a terrorist network that has taken Yemen as its regional base of operations. In light of recent attacks, and resulting embassy closures, Yemen is a rising priority in the Western-led War on Terror. However, this has resulted in a side-lining of other security threats in Yemen, which may cause serious challenges to the authority of the Yemeni Government. In reality, the role of AQAP has been heavily manipulated throughout Yemen’s contemporary history: this was most evident during the 2011 Arab Spring, when both sides in the conflict claimed that Al Qaeda operatives were working with members of the other. Two years later, the true nature of the AQAP threat in Yemen is rarely questioned by external observers, yet remains largely shrouded in mystery. There is a need for more critical approaches to the AQAP challenges, which take the broader context of Yemeni security into account.
Terrorism and Cross-Border Insurgency as New Threats and Challenges to Peace and Security in Africa: The Boko Haram Insurgency
The scourge of insurgencies and terrorism is rising in Africa. This development further threatens the already fragile peace, security, and stability of a continent that has seen more than its fair share of armed conflicts, whether as part of wars of national liberation or as part of the postcolonial upheavals that gripped many countries in Africa after independence. However, this new threat has two major characteristics: its cross-border nature and its links to religious terrorism as a motivation. In this contribution, I examine the Boko Haram insurgency and argue that the cross-border nature should be central in designing and implementing appropriate responses by relevant national, regional, and international stakeholders.
Civil Society in Yemen: The Political Economy of Activism in Modern Arabia
List of tables Preface and acknowledgements Note on transliteration and terminology List of abbreviations Map 1. Civil society in comparative perspective 2. Twentieth-century states and economies 3. Islam, tribes and social services 4. Colonialism, activism and resistance 5. Self-help, social capital and state power 6. Unity, pluralism and political participation 7. Civic responses to political crisis 8. Political movements, cultural trends and civic potential Endnotes Glossary Bibliography Index.