The Role of Masculinity and the Al-Shabaab Challenge

 The Royal United Services Institute published on 18 June 2026 a study titled "Masculinities and Violence in the Horn of Africa Borderlands" by Christopher Hockey and Claudia Wallner.

This paper reveals how masculinity norms fuel conflict, violent extremism, and gender-based violence in the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia borderlands, shaping al-Shabaab's recruitment and deepening insecurity.  It is based on interviews with experts and community members in two communities: one at the tripoint where Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia meet and the other at the Kenya-Somalia border on the Indian Ocean coastline.

It offers actionable recommendations for defense and security practitioners to address these interconnected challenges.  

Somalia and the East African Community

The Heritage Institute published in November 2023 a study titled "Somalia's Accession to the East African Community: Legal Review, Opportunities and Challenges" by Bashir M. Sheikh-Ali.  

Somalia has been seeking admission to the East African Community (EAC) since 2012.  But Somalia is still recovering from civil war and suffers from violent extremism, corruption and recurrent constitutional crises. The EAC criteria for admission emphasize good governance, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and social justice.  The report investigates the opportunities and challenges Somalia would face if it were admitted into the EAC.

Reforming the Response to Violent Extremism in Africa

 Just Security published on 19 September 2022 a commentary titled "The Failing Response to Violent Extremism in Africa--And the Need to Reform the International Response" by Marc Sommers, former senior conflict advisor for the State Department.  

The author argues that the international community needs to avoid over-militarizing the response to terrorism in Africa and focus on the need for improving governance in affected countries.

Preventing Violent Extremism in East Africa

The Institute for Security Studies published in September 2019 a report titled "Preventing Violent Extremism in East Africa: Lessons from Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda" by Isel van Zyl and Maram Mahdi.

The report examined initiatives to prevent and counter violent extremism in East Africa to establish their objectives, target groups, activities, theories of change, evaluation approaches, donor organizations, and funding amounts.

Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in East Africa and Somalia

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published in September 2018 a study titled "Preventing Extremism in the Horn of Africa: Preliminary Findings from Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda" by Denys Reva, Cheryl Frank and Isel van Zyl, all with ISS.

The study constitutes preliminary research on how the ideas behind preventing and countering violent extremism policy are being translated into practical projects and how these projects are being designed. The goal is to better understand the effectiveness of these projects.

Violent Extremism in Kenya: Impact on Women

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published on 8 November 2017 a study titled "Violent Extremism in Kenya: Why Women Are a Priority" by Irene Ndung'u, Uyo Salifu, and Romi Sigsworth, all researchers at ISS.

The study looks at how women in Kenya are involved in violent extremism and suggests ways to prevent and counter it. It also explores how women are affected by and respond to extremism.

Somaliland: Study of Youth and Propensity towards Violence

Mercy Corps published in November 2016 the results of a recent study in Somaliland titled "Critical Choices: Assessing the Effects of Education and Civic Engagement on Somali Youths' Propensity towards Violence."

The study sponsored by USAID and conducted at 60 schools in Somaliland concluded that giving youth the ability to participate in civic engagement activities alongside formal education fulfilled a common desire to do something positive, meaningful and impactful. Addressing this need is one way to steer youth away from a path towards violence. What matters to youth is not just having an opportunity to learn, but also being able to use their capabilities to achieve their ambitions and shape their future and the trajectories of their communities and nation.