Public Perceptions of Violent Extremism and the Prevention of Violent Extremism in Mauritania and Burkina Faso: What They Tell Us About the Nature of the Problem and Opportunities for Intervention
Public Perceptions of Violent Extremism and the Prevention of Violent Extremism in Mauritania and Burkina Faso: What They Tell Us About the Nature of the Problem and Opportunities for Intervention
Joel Busher Elly Harrowell Justine Kielem Coulidiati Elemine Ould Mohamed Baba Moustapha Amadou Sall Bianca Slocombe John Cuddihy a Centre for Peace & Security, Coventry University, Coventry, UKb Department of Economics and Management, Thomas Sankara University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Fasoc Department of History, University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya, Nouakchott, Mauritaniad Department of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya, Nouakchott, MauritaniaDr. Joel Busher is Professor of Political Sociology at the Centre for Peace & Security, Coventry University. His research examines the escalation and inhibition of political and targeted violence, the dynamics of mobilisation against minoritised groups, and the enactment and effects of efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE).Dr. Elly Harrowell is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Peace and Security at Coventry University (UK). Her research explores the relationship between peace, conflict and cultural heritage, and asks how interventions to safeguard cultural heritage can be harnessed to support peace in communities affected by conflict, and other topics related to post-crisis reconstruction.Dr. Justine Kielem Coulidiati is Assistant Professor at the Training and Research Unit in Economics and Management, Thomas Sankara University. She has extensive experience in peace, security, mediation, and conflict management. She has served as special advisor to the Prime Minister and as the first Regional Coordinator of the G5 Sahel Women’s Platform. She has been awarded the Order of Merit, the Women’s Advancement Pin, the Police Medal of Honor, Chevalier de l’ordre de l’Etalon, and was nominated for the Women, Peace and Security Award at the US Africa Command’s 2019 Flintlock event.Dr. Elemine Ould Mohamed Baba Moustapha is a Professor in the Department of History, Nouakchott University. His latest publications include “The flexible use of democracy in an Islamic Republic: the case of the Mauritanian President Abdel Aziz” and “Looters vs. Traitors: The Muqawama (‘Resistance’) Narrative in Contemporary Mauritania”.Amadou Sall is President of the Mauritania Perspectives think-tank and a Lecturer at the University of Nouakchott, where he has led the Department of Philosophy and Sociology, and coordinated the Social Work and Local Government program. He has served as a Human Rights Observer for the African Union in Mali and the Central African Republic, Coordinator of the Regional Unit for the Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism of the G5 Sahel, and headed the Youth, Gender, and Counter-Violent Extremism Division at the G5 Sahel Executive Secretariat. He is Chevalier des Palmes Académiques of the Government of France.Dr. Bianca Slocombe is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Peace and Security. She has a background in psychology and quantitative research expertise, and works across a diverse portfolio of security research projects. She works in interdisciplinary teams to address contemporary challenges, with a focus on human behaviour, decision-making, and real-world impact.John Cuddihy FRSA is a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Peace & Security, Coventry University, and an international consultant specialising in international security, governance, and institutional reform. With over 40 years’ experience advising governments and multilateral organisations, his research and advisory work focus on P/CVE, counterterrorism, organised crime, and international protective security.