No shortcuts to security: Learning from responses to armed conflicts involving proscribed groups

Strategies that appear to offer shortcuts to security will continue to fail – or require constant, year-on-year investments – if they try to ignore reality.

Drawing on examples from Afghanistan, Egypt, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen and the central Sahel (Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso), this report analyses patterns in conflicts involving proscribed groups from the al-Qaeda–Islamic State family tree to create better response strategies.  

The report also finds that effectively and sustainably reducing the threat from proscribed groups requires a better understanding of conflict and its underlying drivers – in particular the powerful incentives that exacerbate and perpetuate conflicts.

Download the report here.

Download the summary briefing here.