Fighting terrorism in Africa: Benchmarking policy harmonization

Simplice Asongu, Vanessa Tchamyou (), Jules R. Minkoua N., Ndemaze Asongu and Nina P. Tchamyou
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Ndemaze Asongu

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2018, vol. 492, issue C, 1931-1957

Abstract: This study assesses the feasibility of policy harmonization in the fight against terrorism in 53 African countries with data for the period 1980–2012. Four terrorism variables are used, namely: domestic, transnational, unclear and total terrorism dynamics. The empirical evidence is based on absolute beta catch-up and sigma convergence estimation techniques. There is substantial absence of catch-up. The lowest rate of convergence in terrorism is in landlocked countries for regressions pertaining to unclear terrorism (3.43% per annum for 174.9 years) while the highest rate of convergence is in upper-middle-income countries in domestic terrorism regressions (15.33% per annum for 39.13 years). After comparing results from the two estimation techniques, it is apparent that in the contemporary era, countries with low levels of terrorism are not catching-up their counterparts with high levels of terrorism. As a policy implication, whereas some common policies may be feasibly adopted for the fight against terrorism, the findings based on the last periodic phase (2004–2012) are indicative that country-specific policies would better pay-off in the fight against terrorism than blanket common policies. Some suggestions of measures in fighting transnational terrorism have been discussed in the light of an anticipated surge in cross-national terrorism incidences in the coming years.

Keywords: Terrorism; Common policies; Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C52 D74 F42 K42 O38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Fighting terrorism in Africa: benchmarking policy harmonization (2018)
Working Paper: Fighting terrorism in Africa: benchmarking policy harmonization (2017)
Working Paper: Fighting terrorism in Africa: benchmarking policy harmonization (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:492:y:2018:i:c:p:1931-1957

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2017.11.109

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