Violent Extremist Organizations and the Electoral Cycle in Africa

Violent extremist organizations (VEOs), once relatively rare in sub‐Saharan Africa, are rapidly becoming a serious threat to regime stability in several key African countries. In addition to generalized political violence and terrorist attacks directed at soft targets, VEOs can use and have used elections to further their organizational goals in several key ways. Because elections are regularized, high‐profile events guaranteed to garner attention, they can become catalysts for VEO activity and assist groups in their recruitment efforts. VEOs have attempted to influence elections to secure victory for those who may be sympathetic to their cause. Elections may also be related to increases in violent attacks meant to disrupt the state, delegitimize the authority of the government altogether, or force a government to negotiate a cessation of hostilities. The relationship between VEOs and elections, however, is not one‐sided. Ruthless politicians have also been accused of covert financing of VEOs and of using them as hired guns during election campaigns.