Links Between Political Parties and Terrorism

Most research on African conflict focuses upon civil war.  Unfortunately, the customary usage of civil war necessarily restricts analysis to large scale events and thus excludes analysis of significant portions of violence that more commonly occur.  The result of this undue analytical restriction is the potentiality of systematic failures to adequately understand African conflict.  In fact, there are numerous conflict theories such as ethnicity, poverty, and exclusion where empirical results contradict subsequent studies.  The missing link is a clear focus on the underlying institutions; specifically, how do political parties, impinge or promote conflict (not necessarily civil war)?   Given the recent heightened international focus on North Africa, specifically the threat of Islamic terror in Mali and Nigeria, it seems appropriate to examine a subset of conflict: terrorism and its relationship with political parties.

Professors Leonard Weinberg and Ami Pedahzur examine the relationship between terrorist groups and political parties.  In their study the authors examine 400 terrorist groups of which 31% are linked with political parties.  This illustrates the rather pervasive use of terrorism by parties to further political agendas.  The authors create a classification scheme wherein they group a party’s terrorist activity into one of three categories below:

1.      Parties carry out the terrorist activities themselves

2.      Parties fractionalize and then turn towards terrorism

3.      Parties use terrorism to gain an electoral edge 

They find 87% of the cases they examined fall into one of the three categories delineated above.  Interestingly, European parties appear to be more closely connected to the support of terror than in other regions. In their examination of Africa, however, the authors find substantially less linkages between parties and terror groups than in Europe, Asia, or the Middle East.  This is an unsurprising result for numerous reasons not the least of which is that data collection from Africa on conflict and political parties is highly conscribed.  Importantly, the study of political parties in Africa has largely discredited them as ineffectual institutions who are merely containers for corruption.  African parties are characterized by corruption and often are ineffective; nevertheless, failing to examine their link to conflict ensures a truncated analysis and understanding of African conflict and violence. 

            The authors attempt to explain their results by conducting abbreviated case analysis.  These findings rely largely upon explanatory factors such as ethnicity, exclusionary practices, and religion.  In short, their reasons for the linkages between parties and terror are largely comprised of the traditional conflict theories that rely upon social cleavages.   This research fills an important gap in the conflict literature by exploring the link between parties and terrorism.  Despite the authors’ chiefly conformist explanations for the causes of the linkages their research illustrates the importance that parties have in creating and sustaining conflict.  This line of research is especially relevant in Nigeria.

            Increasingly the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has been linked to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) otherwise popularly known as the “People’s Deception Party.”  In fact, in April 2012 Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Andrew Owoye  Azazi caused a stir when he pointedly noted that the PDP’s practices encouraged Boko Haram. Azazi argued that Boko Haram did not become a sophisticated terrorist group overnight but rather has long been training and planning its activities that resulted from the corruption in the PDP.   He noted that exclusionary practices by the PDP were a stimulant in the recent violent emergence of Boko Haram. 

            Azazi’s comments have been echoed by citizens who believe that PDP members are also providing aid and comfort to the terror group.  The PDP has rejected any connection with Boko Haram; however, two PDP Senators have been linked by the State Security Service (SSS) to Boko Haram.  First, a senator representing the Borno South Senatorial District, Mohammed Aliyu Ndume is accused of attempting to use Boko Haram to threaten Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke.  Second, Ahmed Khalifa Zanna, a senator representing Borno Central Senatorial Zone, has also been linked to Boko Haram.  Zanna’s nephew is a high level commander within the terrorist group and was recently arrested in a home that some allege to be Zanna’s.  The involvement of these two senators has occurred within the last two weeks and as investigations continue there likely will be more links that emerge between the PDP and Boko Haram.

The Nigerian case illustrates that not only are parties relevant in Africa but also that failure to fully institutionalize political parties runs the risk of perpetuating violence and conflict.  Furthermore, as discontent and weapons travel quickly in the region and as external forces attempt to seize upon dissatisfaction, the potential for extreme violence increases.  If further confirmation is needed then one need only examine Mali.

Sources:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201211020977.html

http://allafrica.com/stories/201211010202.html

http://www.gamji.com/article9000/NEWS9624.htm

http://www.informationnigeria.org/2012/10/senator-ali-ndume-gave-agfs-phone-number-to-boko-haram-principal-witness.html

http://www.nairaland.com/1085235/pdp-senator-behind-boko-haram-ali

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/boko-haram-sss-to-invite-modu-sheriff/

Weinberg, Leonard, and Ami Pedahzur. Political Parties and Terrorist Groups. London: Routledge, 2003.