Civil society organizations from Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria come together in Abidjan to translate research findings into locally driven interventions
Across West Africa, informal economies, weak governance and cross-border flows create conditions in which criminal networks and violent extremist actors can intersect - oftentimes not through fixed alliances, but through fluid, opportunistic and highly context-specific interactions. Translating this evidence into practical, locally grounded prevention strategies has remained a persistent challenge, particularly for stakeholders working closest to affected communities.
Bringing Research and Practice Together
To help close this gap, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) convened a three-day regional workshop, "Strengthening Community Resilience against the Nexus between Terrorism and Criminal Activities," in Abidjan from 30 June to 2 July 2026. Within the framework of the project “Assessing and Addressing the Nexus between Organized Crime and Terrorism in Africa”, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the workshop brought together nine civil society organizations implementing community-based prevention initiatives in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria, alongside researchers, practitioners and representatives of international organizations. Building on the UNICRI's report “Dangerous Liaisons: Assessing the Nexus between Terrorism and Criminal Activities in Africa” together with other relevant findings, the workshop provided a platform to collectively interpret evidence, ground analysis in local realities, identify practical entry points for prevention, and strengthen community resilience through evidence-informed and context-specific action.
From Shared Understanding to Practical Solutions
Over three days, participants progressed from building a shared understanding of the nexus to designing concrete, context-adapted responses. Working sessions and peer exchanges allowed civil society practitioners to compare experiences across countries, critically examine what has worked – and what has not - in their own community engagement and communication efforts, and think beyond conventional security-driven approaches to identify solutions responsive to local governance dynamics, power relations and livelihood pressures. A dedicated dialogue on the role of national, regional and international actors also gave participants the opportunity to formulate recommendations on how institutions can better support locally led prevention work.
Key Takeaways
The workshop underscored the value of sustained learning and exchange among civil society actors confronting similar challenges across different national contexts. It emphasized that effective prevention depends on approaches that are locally owned, evidence-based and responsive to community realities. Participants developed action plans outlining how they intend to integrate the workshop's findings into their ongoing and future work. Their recommendations – including those addressed to national actors and the international community - will feed into a forthcoming outcome document, helping translate the discussions in Abidjan into more effective, context-relevant, and sustainable actions to strengthen community resilience against the nexus between terrorism and criminal activities in West Africa.
