UN experts warn of growing IS threat in Africa
UN experts warned of a growing Islamic State (IS) threat in West Africa and the Sahel on February 15th, according to AP.
UN counter-terrorism Chief, Vladimir Voronkov, said that the Islamist terror group remains intent on carrying out attacks abroad, and reiterated the threat it poses to international peace and security.
He told the UN security council that the situation in West Africa and the Sahel had greatly deteriorated “and is becoming more complex,” amid growing political insecurity, and as ethnic and regional disputes align with the operational agenda of IS and affiliated groups.
Voronkov warned that, due to IS-affiliated groups acting with increasing autonomy, “a vast area of instability may emerge from Mali to the borders of Nigeria,” and that countering the threat of terrorism in Africa remains a priority for his office.
Executive director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, Natalia Gherman, claimed that more than 50% of global terrorist attacks now take place on the African continent, with around half of that figure concentrated in the Sahel.
Islamic State broke away from al-Qaida over a decade ago and drew members from around the world it its cause. Despite massive defeats in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019, UN experts estimate there to be between 3,000 and 5,000 active members still in the Levant, with reports supporting a rise in recent activity.
They do, however, point to significant reductions in IS activity in Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, and Mozambique in recent years, praising the counter-terrorism efforts of UN member states.
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International efforts to target IS’ financing have also wielded significant result, with Voronkov claiming the group’s financial reserves to be currently estimated at between $10 million and $25 million, down hundreds of millions from when the group was at its height.
Efforts by the Taliban are also reported to have had a significant impact on Afghanistan’s IS-affiliates’ ability to operate in the country, although, UN analysts have reported some cooperation between the Taliban and al-Qaida.
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Interpol’s Secretary General, Jürgen Stock, said his organization is working closely with UN counter-terrorism officials to “identify and prevent the exploitation for terrorist purposes of enablers such as encryption services, video distribution tools, and new propaganda platforms.”
Stock added that Interpol is also working to collect data on the links between organized crime and terrorism, such as the trafficking of cocaine through North and West Africa, and that in combating terrorism, Interpol is focusing on biometrics, border security, and battlefield information.
AP
