The Roles of Civil Society Organizations in Fighting

Terrorism: A Comparative Analyses between Nigeria

and Tunisia
Wara Yusuf Abubakar
Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli Üniversitesi,
Siyaset ve Sosyal Bilimler Bölümü
 The Aim of the Study
• The aim of the study is to point out how Civil Society
organizations greatly contribute to the fight against
terrorism in both Nigeria and Tunisia.
• To adopt functional approach to critically compare
the roles of CSOs in fighting terrorism between
Nigeria and Tunisia.
• To prove that CSOs are playing significant roles in
the fight of terrorism.
• To justify the fact that in spite of these roles played
by the CSOs there are still much to be done.
• To suggest some more practical approaches to be
used by CSOs in fighting terrorism.
 Material and Methods
• This research placed more emphasis on content
analysis; a method which uses a qualitative data
analysis to analyze research systematically and
reliably from which generalization can be made in
relations to the findings.

• The study is founded on the assumption that a

country with vibrant CSOs is more likely to eradicate
terrorism than the one that has not.
 Main Outputs
• It is vital to state that Civil Society Organizations
CSOs otherwise known as the “third sector” have
become a gargantuan tool for societal peace,
progress, development and stability.

• One of the areas where Civil Society takes a bold

step in ensuring societal peace in modern society is
fighting terrorism.
• They help in eradicating the menace of terrorism
through awareness, damnation, motivation,
appraise, rehabilitation, partnership, indoctrination
and coordination approaches
• Using these approaches CSOs in both Nigeria and
Tunisia have been and are still performing some vital
functions in ending terrorism.

• Starting with awareness approach, In Nigeria Youth

Coalition against Terrorism (YOCAT) has organized
many peace education programs in northern Nigeria
to raise awareness that terrorism is not a real part of
our precious cultural and religious heritage. In
Tunisia, Youth & Skills” NGO in Bizerte initiated the
“Kafae” (Skills) regional network which brings
together civil society organizations from the region
dedicated to awareness-raising activities on VE,
where joint actions on student dropout and other
sources of terrorisms are currently being discussed.
• It was also observed that CSOs in both Nigeria and
Tunisia adopt damnation approach which simply
means condemning every terrorist activities
whenever and wherever they occurred.
• African Women’s Development and Communication
Network (FEMNET) and the West African Civil
Society Forum (WACSOF) have severally issued
statements condemning Boko Haram’s actions, and
calling for collective support, at all levels, in fighting
terrorism.
• In Tunisia the national trade union centre UGTT,
issued a strong statement condemning the terrorist
attack on the coastal city of Sousse in 2015,
pledging the support of working people in the fight
against terrorism. The UGTT also called on people to
join a sit-in in front of the national parliament, to pay
homage to the victims, defy the terrorist’s objective
to undermine morale, and show their commitment to
the fight against terrorism
• Other Approaches includes:
• Motivational Approach
• Appraisal approach
• Rehabilitation approach
• Partnership approach
• Indoctrination approach
• Coordination approach

• In Nigeria several analysts have argued that “The

soldiers are less motivated than the Boko Haram
insurgents” This is an indication that both the
government and non-governmental organization
such as the Civil Society have not done enough in
motivating the security forces in the fight of Boko
Haram.
• In Tunisia some civil society groups appear to be
making promising efforts in motivating the military in
the fight against terrorism. Such efforts include calling
of police reforms which encourage and strengthen the
security forces towards ensuring a lasting peace
countrywide.

• The appraisal function is yet another area that CSOs

have to assess the security forces’ anti-terror
activities in such a way it does not affect the ordinary
citizens. In both countries police brutality, military
torture, intimidation, rape and even extra-judicial
killings have been recorded and still on the rise.
• in Tunisia due to the presence of SOS Terrorisme that
carries out general function of assisting the victims of
terror such as supports, informs and guides them,
offer medical and social assistance to them and helps
them in obtaining judicial proceedings; rehabilitation
of victims of terrorism is more effective there.
•When we look at the level of partnership amongst the
several CSOs in both countries we will observed that the rate
of unionism amongst Tunisian CSOs is higher compare to
that of Nigeria. As Leach rightly observed that the military
and federal police have faced difficulty strengthening ties
with civil society in Nigeria. Both have a widespread
reputation for corruption and brutality that has been difficult
to overcome

•On the indoctrination approach in Nigeria and Tunisia there

is a great effort to reintegrate terrorist back to the society on
the principles of negotiation, reintegration, rehabilitation or
humanitarian interventions. The call of several CSOs in
Nigeria has made the Government of Nigeria to carry out
closed-door hearings in front of civilian judges for more than
1,600 suspected supporters of Boko Haram and ISIS-WA.
•According to a government statement, 600 suspects were
arraigned in the initial proceedings. Of these, 45 pled guilty to
various charges and were sentenced to between three and 31
years in prison, 468 persons were ordered to undergo a de-
radicalization and rehabilitation program before being
released, 34 cases were dismissed, and 28 cases were
remanded for trial in civilian courts elsewhere in the country

•On the similar vein in Tunisia Hedayah and Rescue

Association of Tunisians Trapped Abroad (RATTA) have
organized several workshops and training programs for
foreign fighter returnees. The approach is favorable in
Tunisia compare to Nigeria because it is easier to find out
foreign fighter returnees and bring them together for
workshops and training compared to members of Boko
Haram in Nigeria who are mostly in the forest.
•On the similar vein in Tunisia Hedayah and Rescue
Association of Tunisians Trapped Abroad (RATTA) have
organized several workshops and training programs for
foreign fighter returnees. This approach is favorable in
Tunisia compare to Nigeria because it is easier to find out
foreign fighter returnees and bring them together for
workshops and training compared to members of Boko
Haram in Nigeria who are mostly in the forest.

•For coordination approach both countries’ civil societies

have allied with several other around the world with sole aim
of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE). In Nigeria, with direct
support from the British Department for International
Development, adopted a Policy Framework and National
Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent
Extremism. Similarly Tunisia once co-sponsored UN Security
Council resolution 2396 on returning and relocating foreign
terrorist fighters.
 Conclusion and Recommendation
As a result of the fact that terrorism remains a
gargantuan grudge in both Nigeria and Tunisia
despite the efforts of the Civil Society, this article
suggested that there is more to be done owing to
that recommends the followings:

Infiltration approach; which is an action to secretly

become part of a group in order to get information or
to influence the way that group thinks or behaves
• Through secret agents within the terrorists the their
sponsors and those who offer all kinds of assistance to
them may be easily identify including how they get their
weapons, food, vehicles and money.

• Having identify the real terrorists through infiltration

methods or other means the CSOs can embark on
mediation approach. They can reconcile between the
terrorist and the government. Why most of the
reconciliation policy of countering violence extremism
failed is because they are mostly done without
identifying the real terrorists.
• Deducing from all we have discussed from the first page
of this article we can conclude that in the contemporary
world Civil Society Organisations have become a giant
instrument of not only societal development but also
societal peace and unity.
Thank You For
Listening