Terrorism has a diverse effect on societies, and African countries stand out on such matters. Mostly, the theory of deprivation plays a significant role in the rise of such events in the region. However, the economic good that can be examined using the rational choice related to economic agents. Other-worldly goals also come in handy to motivate terrorism in Africa. In specific areas, terrorism includes some costs and benefits and any alteration on such costs makes it possible to contain terrorism and improve the lives of stakeholders in different regions. Terrorism has roots in the past, and current management is trying all the available options to thwart its existence in the future. The essay examines historical contexts in Africa with much emphasis on the incident that occurred in Ivory Coast.
What occurred?
The incident occurred on March 14, 2016, claiming the lives of over 18 individuals. Opening fire at a popular Ivory Coast beach was such an uncouth act that the authorities need to find the cause and use all the available means to bring justice. The country has the best security forces, which managed to act quickly according to the justifications given by Bakayoko. That was not enough since terrorism is a consistent act in Africa. It was imperative to have the right processes into consideration to ensure that such an attack never happens in future (Alexander, 2015). The government arranged for a broader sweep in the region to ensure that all the stones are turned. Giving chances with the lives of individuals is inappropriate.
In most parts of Africa, the Al-Qaida, which is one of the dominant Islamic group plays a significant role in the planning as well as the execution of various terrorist acts. In fact, the group claimed responsibility for the attack that transpired in Ivory Coast. The target was mainly hotels located in the city of Grand-Bassam. The incent stands as the third one in a row within four months in which such terrorist groups targeted hotels located in West Africa.
Who is involved?
Terrorism is an act that affects the society in some ways. Those involved in the attack were mainly 15 civilians and three soldiers. Mostly, terrorists have hidden agendas and will execute everything possible to achieve their goals. Soldiers come into place to bring sanity, which can still result in loss of life. Through the incident, soldiers managed to gun down six gunmen. The president, Alassane Ouattara declared three days of mourning such a loss when solemnly addressing the nation a few days after the incident. The incident also wounded close to thirty-three individuals (Alexander, 2015). The issues posited a negative image since four French citizens as well as a German woman were among the dead. National security is a crucial issue since globalisation currently made it possible to have different nationalities in various parts. Hence, it is imperative to have the best environment that will continue to create the excellent co-existence aimed at promoting economic growth and development. Killing is an incident that Muslims are much attached to in most cases. An eyewitness outlined that one of the gunmen shouted “God is great” before opening fire. That gives rise to their intention in the process.
Reason for the event
As outlined above, it is evident that the whole event was a way of intimidating the government to adhere to specific demands. Muslims are motivated by killing and use it as a means to achieve some of the irreducible minimums. Ideally, there is a need for tolerant as well as inclusive society in the contemporary society (Humud, 2016). However, terrorists are against such a move, and that prompts them to undertake such unethical actions against humanity. That stands at the primary motivation for the event. The terror group believe that such level of intimidation was likely to send away foreigners in the region, which they felt is the main reason for their slow growth and development. Most of the terror groups think that foreigners limit them from utilizing their resources. Ideally, targeting Grand-Bassam links to the fact that it is a former French colonial capital. Moreover, the place is designated for the UNESCO World Heritage due to the elegant colonial-era facades structures in the region. These are some of the issues that made it possible to execute the attack.
The impact on the society
Co-existence not only bring people together but also provide opportunities for other individuals. The incident made it possible to get investors in the region. That hurts the economy in some ways leading to the decrease in the GDP (Humud, 2016). In most instances, opportunities for investors reduce the level of unemployment and later translates to a better living standard among the population. As a result, the incident affected the wellbeing of most individuals in the region. The society as a whole suffered in some ways. Over the years, Ivory Coast managed to record consistent economic growth, and the incident turned the tables making it hard to promote peoples’ welfare in the region.
References
Alexander, Y. (2015). Terrorism in North Africa and the Sahel in 2014. Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies (administered by both the International Center for Terrorism Studies at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and the Inter-University Center for Legal Studies at the International Law Institute).
Humud, C. E. (2016). Al Qaeda and US Policy: Middle East and Africa. Congressional Research Service Washington United States.
