Terrorism is just one of several types of political violence that states and their citizens, in
Africa and elsewhere, have had to grapple with. In fact, from a macro perspective, terrorism may
not be universally seen as the most important security challenge faced by African states and their
citizens. Famine, drought, endemic poverty, diseases and other natural and man-made disasters
that undermine human security have also been at the forefront of recent policy discussions on
Africa among Western governments and international aid organizations. It is thus necessary to
place terrorism within the broader terrain of Africa’s security challenges, before examining the
historical trends and specific examples discussed in this Special Issue of Perspectives on
Terrorism.