The African continent is a region of increasing economic opportunity and threats of terrorism.
What accounts for these seemingly contradictory trends? This study argues that the recent
terrorism rise is partly due to increasing investment by multinational corporations (MNCs) in
Africa. I examine MNC investment in infrastructure through the mechanism of Private
Participation in Infrastructure (PPI). I argue that greater infrastructure investment gives African
states the incentive and military capacity to reassert control over territories previously lost to
violent non-state actors. MNCs introduce a third party into the bargaining between militants and
governments over resource control. Since MNC investment empowers the state, the resulting
territorial contestation may induce non-state actors to respond with terrorism. I argue that
African states will experience increasing terrorist attacks as PPI increases and furthers the
process of state consolidation. Increasing PPI gives terrorist campaigns an initial burst of resolve
to prolong their initiatives. However, I ultimately assert that if this PPI investment is allowed to
appreciate through initial periods of increased violence, African states can eventually use this
new power to accelerate the demise of terrorist groups. Sustained MNC investment will
strengthen African governments and decrease the survivability of terrorist campaigns. I test these
predictions on terrorist attacks and campaigns in the post Cold War period from 1990-2006.Bachelor of Art
