Psycho-social Impacts of International Terrorism in Africa

International terrorism is a human-made event that has in recent times increasingly risen as a non-state actor to influence the relations among nations. It has challenged the dominant state actors in their relations and determines the international agenda on security and peace. It is a war whose “battle field is the mind”. . Its consequences on humanity are devastating and long term hence the need for concerted effort to combat it. However, “the survivors or objects of terrorist attack have little intrinsic value to the terrorist group but represent a larger human audience whose reaction the terrorists seek". The survivors, both first responders and direct victims, of terror attacks are easily forgotten by the larger society and they are mostly on their own during the recovery period. Many suffer short term and long term effects that are less evident to the society. This work brings to the fore some of their experiences following a terror attack they were involved in.