Terror in the backyard: Domestic terrorism in Africa and its impact on human rights

Although Africa has a long history of terrorism and a number of countries continue to experience acts of terrorism particularly in the context of conflict, scant attention has been paid to its impact on human rights. This paper seeks to contribute to an understanding of the impact of domestic - rather than international - terrorism on human rights in Africa. The article has a dual focus. First, it provides a brief overview of the human rights impact of acts of domestic terrorism in Africa and second, it examines state responses to domestic terrorism with the aim of assessing the implications of these responses for human rights.