Viruses and VEOs

How will the Covid-19 pandemic affect African governments’ ability to respond to violent extremism in the region? Will groups exploit the health, economic, and political crisis brought on by the pandemic? In this security-focused episode, host Judd Devermont is joined by Bulama Bukarti (Tony Blair Institute), Emilia Columbo (CSIS), and Will Brown (The Telegraph, CSIS) to discuss the violence in northern Mozambique, Boko Haram’s attack on Chadian soldiers in late March, and Covid'19's implications for the security landscape. Background Reading: Extremist Groups Stepping up Operations during the Covid-19 Outbreak in Sub-Saharan Africa – Emilia Columbo and Marielle Harris Supporting Mozambique’s Response to the Growing Insurgent Threat in Cabo Delgado – Emilia Columbo How Jihadi Groups in Africa Will Exploit COVID-19 – Bulama Bukarti As the World Is Distracted, Boko Haram Terrorists Strike a Key Western Ally – Will Brown