Regional Responses to Violent Extremism

This study examines the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s (IGAD) regional responses to violent extremism in the Horn of Africa using secondary data from forty academic and institutional sources. Findings reveal that IGAD has achieved significant institutional and normative progress through initiatives such as the IGAD Center of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (ICEPCVE) and the Regional P/CVE Strategy. However, its effectiveness remains constrained by limited enforcement authority, weak intelligence coordination, and donor dependence. While IGAD excels in policy harmonization and preventive programming, implementation gaps persist across member states. The study concludes that IGAD’s success depends on enhancing operational capacity, legal harmonization, and member-state commitment to transform coordination into collective regional security action.