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ABSTRACT
Insecurity is a prominent phenomenon that threatens the peace and development of Africa in general and particularly, the Lake Chad Basin [LCB]. One of the factors driving the menace is the phenomenon of youth bulge. This article argues that young people with poor economic prospects are liable to be recruited for violence. Situated within the grievance model, the article shows how youth make up the larger percentage of protesting, violent and armed groups in the region and presents evidence of how grievance against deprivation moves demography to exacerbate insecurity. The article adopts a qualitative approach and relies on secondary data sourced from briefs, government reports, peer-reviewed journal articles and internet sources. The findings show that the endless supply of children and young people in the LCB is a major factor driving insecurity. By examining the phenomenon of Almajiri, child soldiers and youth radicalisation as enablers of conflict and insecurity in the LCB, the article concludes that population explosion amid a lack of resources leads to grievance and fuels insecurity. This is significant given the paucity of literature on the incidence of demography and insurgency in the LCB; which has become a theatre of insecurity in Africa.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Sakor, ‘A Demographic Threat?’, 27.
2 Cooperazione Internazionale, ‘Lake Chad Crisis Overview’, 2.
3 United Nations Development Programme, Conflict Analysis in the Lake Chad Basin 2020-2021, 9.
4 Ismail and Olonisakin, ‘Why Do Youth Participate in Violence’, 371.
5 United Nations, Youth2030: A Global Progress Report, 2.
6 These data are made available by United States Census Bureau International Database. The author opted for the database due to the absence of an up-to-date and comprehensive database in many of the appraised countries.
7 United States Census Bureau, International Database, 1.
8 United States Census Bureau, International Database, 1.
9 Sanderson, ‘Youth Bulge in Sub-Saharan Africa’, 114.
10 Basedau, Heyl, and Woertz, ‘Population Growth and Security in Africa’, iii.
11 Sakor, ‘A Demographic Threat?’, 6.
12 Feseha, ‘The Nexus Between ‘Youth and Bulge’ and Armed Conflict’, 2.
13 Commins, ‘Urban Fragility and Security in Africa’, 4.
14 Collier and Hoeffler., ‘Greed and Grievance’, i.
15 Kalyvas, The Ontology of ‘political Violence’’, 475.
16 Collier and Hoeffler, ‘Greed and Grievance’, 2.
17 Stewart, ‘Horizontal Inequalities and Conflict’, 3.
18 Pizzolo, ‘Greed Versus Grievance Theory’, 3.
19 Collier and Hoeffler, ‘Greed and Grievance in Civil War’, 570.
20 Fredriksen and Tziarras, The Libya Conflict and Its Implications, 3.
21 African Economic Outlook, ‘Libya’, 2.
22 Campante and Chor, ‘Why was the Arab World Poised for Revolution?, 178.
23 Gurr, Why Men Rebel, 13.
24 Gurr, Why Men Rebel, 13
25 See for example Karl-Dieter, ‘Grievances and Participation in Social Movements’.
26 Bensted, ‘A Critique of Paul Collier’s ‘Greed and Grievance’ Thesis’, 89.
27 United Nations, ‘Definition of Youth’, 1.
28 Sakor, ‘A Demographic Threat?’, 7.
29 UNICEF, Generation 2030: Africa 2.0, 3.
30 African Union, The Challenge of Youth Bulge in Africa, 5.
31 Ismail and Olonisakin, ‘Why Do Youth Participate in Violence’, 373.
32 Sanderson, ‘Youth Bulge in Sub-Saharan Africa’, 110.
33 Ibid, 112.
34 Bangura, ‘Youth-led Social Movements and Peacebuilding in Africa’, 1.
35 Ibid, 5.
36 Faupel and Wojtanik, ‘What the Rest of the World’, 1.
37 Bangura, ‘Youth-led Social Movements and Peacebuilding in Africa’, 9.
38 United Nations, Youth2030: A Global Progress Report, 2.
39 Gurr, Why Men Rebel, xi.
40 Ezemenaka, ‘Youth Violence and Human Security’, 2.
41 Johnston et al., ‘Making Sense of Youth Political Violence’, 2.
42 Mensah, ‘The Heroes of Burkina Faso’s 2014 Revolution’, 108,
43 Akinyetun, ‘A theoretical assessment of Boko Haram insurgency’, 89.
44 Sesay, ‘Regional and Sub-Regional Approaches to Youth and Youth-led Movements’, 37.
45 Messner De Latour, ‘Fragile States Index 2021’.
46 Ylonen, ‘Grievances and the Roots of Insurgencies’, 108.
47 Ibid, 133.
48 Haile, South Sudan’s Post-Independence Challenges, 1.
49 Price and Orrnert, Youth in South Sudan, 18.
50 World Bank, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, 1.
51 Ibid.
52 Kaufmann and Kraay, Worldwide Governance Indicators, 1.
53 Olokor, It’s Risky to Ignore Youth in Decision-Making Process, 2.
54 Porter, Political Instability in Algeria, 2.
55 Ghebouli, Algeria’s Political Crisis, 1.
56 Ahmed and Chikhi, Tens of Thousands of Algerian Students Extend Protest, 1.
57 Ismail and Olonisakin, ‘Why Do Youth Participate in Violence’, 373.
58 Commins, ‘Urban Fragility and Security in Africa’, 1.
59 World Bank, Children & Youth, 35
60 World Bank, ‘The World Bank Data’, 1.
61 Mahmood and Ani, ‘Factional Dynamics Within Boko Haram’, 29.
62 Ibid, 217.
63 African Economic Outlook, ‘Libya’, 2.
64 Campante and Chor, ‘Why was the Arab World Poised for Revolution?, 178.
65 Akinyetun, ‘A Theoretical Assessment of Boko Haram Insurgency’, 98.
66 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, 2020 Ibrahim Index, 21.
67 International Crisis Group, Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis at the Crossroads, 9.
68 Feseha, ‘The Nexus Between ‘Youth and Bulge’ and Armed Conflict’, 2.
69 Akinyetun, ‘A Theoretical Assessment of Boko Haram Insurgency’, 98.
70 Gratius, Santos, and Roque, ‘Youth, Identity and Security’, 9.
71 World Bank, Children & Youth, 40.
72 Mahmood and Ani, ‘Responses to Boko Haram’, 7.
73 Beber and Blattman, ‘The Logic of Child Soldiering and Coercion’, 66.
74 Desai-Patel, Child Poverty in the Central African Republic, 1.
75 Incledon, Use of Child Soldiers in Chad, 1.
76 Akinyetun et al., ‘Assessment of the Prevalence of Multidimensional Poverty’, 25.
77 A term used to describe children from poor homes sent to Islamic schools to receive Islamic education. The term is now associated with children who loiter the streets of the North begging alms for survival.
78 Obisesan, ‘The Roaming Threats’, 116.
79 Aghedo and Eke, ‘From Alms to Arms’, 99.
80 Onapajo, ‘Children in Boko Haram Conflict’, 201.
81 Osasona, ‘Victims or Vanguards of Terror’, 5.
82 Ibid.
83 Haer, ‘Children and Armed Conflict’, 76.
84 Onapajo, ‘Children in Boko Haram Conflict’, 201.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Tope Shola Akinyetun
Tope Shola Akinyetun researches identity politics, conflict, youth studies, development studies and technopolitics. He is a reviewer for notable journals including New Media Society (SAGE), African Security Review (Routledge), Politics, Groups and Identities (Routledge), Third World Quarterly (Routledge), Regional Studies (Routledge), the African Journal of Terrorism and Insurgency Research, and the African Journal of Governance and Development. He has published in peer-reviewed international journals and presented papers at noteworthy conferences. He is a member of IPSA, IAPSS, MPSA, and African Studies Centre Leiden.