Saman Ayesha Kidwai

Saman Ayesha Kidwai is a Associate Fellow (Counter Terrorism Centre) at MP-IDSA. She joined the institute in August 2021. She holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding from the Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Jamia Millia Islamia. Her areas of interest include political violence, counter-terrorism, and geopolitics, primarily within South Asia, West Asia, and the Horn of Africa. Among her publications across different forums, one of her notable works includes, “The Rise of Iran as a Regional Power,” in the India Quarterly Journal.

Associate Fellow

Publication

The UK’s “Separation Centres”: Re-Visiting Counter-Terror Measures

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Ms Saman Ayesha Kidwai’s article “The UK's ‘Separation Centres’: Re-visiting counter-terror measures” was has been published in ‘Modern Diplomacy’ on 01 May 2022.

Prisons are breeding grounds for radicalisation within their walls and recruitment for terrorism acts carried out post the inmates’ release. The leaders’ personality and ability to cultivate a cult-like following among the potential recruits mould the fruition or failure of these security threats worldwide. While this is not a novel security challenge, as the following portion about the rise of the Islamic State attests, the Boris Johnson-led administration appears to now bolster its efforts to confront the complex reality, says Ms Kidwai.

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The ETIM Question: Taliban’s Moment of Truth

The coming of Taliban to power in Afghanistan could upset the geopolitical applecart in Central Asia and adjoining regions. The growing association of radical Uyghur groups like the ETIM, with IS-K and the spread of jihadist operations in Central Asia could have significant implications for regional and international powers, particularly for China and its ambitious plans for Silk Road imperialism.

Al-Shabaab in Somalia: Terrorist Trends in the Pandemic Years

Challenges, such as weak infrastructure and ill-equipped armed forces, corruption, pandemic, and drought, have become intrinsic to Somalia, mutually reinforcing each other. Additionally, they have been exploited by terrorists to advance their Islamist cause. While re-evaluating counter-terrorism strategies to defeat al-Shabaab, the allied partners should carefully consider these factors’ role in sustaining the insurgency and address the security crisis – state and human security – accordingly.