Global Turmoil Gives ISIS a Chance to Resume Its Terrorist Activities… How?

The strength of ISIS has doubled in Somalia and West Africa over the past year, causing increasing security threats in East and West Africa, according to Al-Azhar’s Observatory for Combating Extremism, citing U.S. Africa Command leader General Michael Langley. He expressed concern about the growing numbers of ISIS in northern Somalia.

• Is South Africa the Financial Hub for ISIS in Africa?

• Report: Counterfeiting Money is One of the Methods Used by Terrorist Groups to Finance Their Activities

In June, a U.S. official revealed that Abdul Qadir Mumin, the leader of the terrorist organization in Somalia, was targeted in a U.S. airstrike in May. However, sources denied that the ISIS extremist was killed in the strike.

Al-Azhar’s Observatory for Combating Extremism confirmed that despite the current relative calm on the African scene, the terrorist threat from groups such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other armed militias remains. The execution of terrorist attacks by these organizations is expected at any time, as evidenced earlier this week in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, where 10 people were killed in an attack.

• The Houthis and Somali al- Shabaab: “The Devil’s Alliance” Reaches the Horn of Africa

• Increasing Terrorism Activity in Africa: What Are the Implications and Solutions?

The observatory further explained that the global situation and the unrest in the Middle East, due to the ongoing Zionist aggression against Gaza and Lebanon, along with widespread poverty and corruption in Africa, particularly in the Sahel and West African countries, give terrorist organizations a golden opportunity to resume their activities while the world is distracted by current events and international counterterrorism efforts have declined.

It is worth noting that the pace of terrorist activities in Africa has increased significantly in recent months, accounting for nearly half of the terrorist acts worldwide, according to the United Nations Counterterrorism Organization.

• “Land of Migration and Jihad”: ISIS turns Africa into a new front for international terrorism

• Has Terrorism Penetrated Africa to Plunder Its Wealth?

Statistics published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a research institute affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, showed that nearly 4,000 people were killed in Africa in 2023 due to terrorist attacks, representing an increase of about 19% compared to 2022, with the total number of victims rising from 19,000 to 23,000.