So far Islamic militancy has only succeeded in one Sub-Saharan African state – Somalia, a failed state.  In other places African traditional values have proven to hold more sway than the murderous ideology of Islamic terrorists, even in areas with high densities of Muslims like West Africa and the East African Coast.

But recent events in Nigeria are a sign that the Continent may not be immune from religious zealotry. A group calling itself Boko Haram has been attacking police stations and killing civilians all across northern Nigeria – all in the name of agitating for the imposition of Sharia law across the country. Nigeria is almost half muslim and half christian, with Sharia law mostly operational in the northern states.

President Yar’Adua has asked his security chiefs to do all they can to stop Boko Haram from taking root in the country. West Africa and the Sahel have a large muslim population and so the fact that Islamic militancy has reached these regions should be a concern to the many weak governments in this part of the Continent – ranging from Chad to the Gambia.