Rebellion in Mali, al-Shabaad resurgent, fundamentalism spreading in north and central Africa, etc

Yes, economically speaking Africa is progressing. Yet, in parallel, many corners of Africa appear to be descending into chaos. We have mentioned already in some social networks that extremism is on the rise in a manner never seen before in Africa. Rebellion in many parts of the continent has been a constant, but never so intrinsically linked to terrorist and criminal networks. Please, go and grab a map of Africa or open one in your browser. The Arab Spring countries in the north have so many unresolved political problems that are spreading to adjacent regions and entering Europe via growing refugee communities poorly integrated into mainstream society by the respective host countries. In the East of Africa, we find a resurgent al-Shabaab and other groups inspired by al-Qaeda ideology spreading their influence to the south and the east. Criminal activity, notably piracy and the kidnapping industry, overlaps terrorism and fundamentalism both east and west. Nigeria is fast becoming a country were this lethal mix is becoming commonplace. Maritime piracy is fast growing in the west coast of Africa too. Drug trafficking organizations have also found that the area appears to be a good transit hub for traffic between South America and Europe. Add also all the many rebellions in countries like the Congo and the Central African Republic and criminal violence in South Africa, Zimbabwe, etc. We have identified at least twenty concerning trends of criminal and terrorist activity in the continent that remain unchecked as they rarely make the headlines. A grand strategy is needed here before violence in Africa reaches a point of no return. When that happens, peacekeepers and/or Private Military Companies will be unable to contain the escalating mayhem.