What are the implications of rising terrorism in Africa on Europe? An expert answers
As the threat posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) escalates in Africa and its implications begin to affect Europe, the Egyptian website “Al-Bawaba” has reported figures indicating that the terrorist organization controls 45% of Burkina Faso, 20% of Nigeria, and 10% of Niger. Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda dominates 40% of Mali and over 50% of Somalia, noting that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula faces two challenges: continuous attacks on its leadership by U.S. administrations and the ongoing civil war in Yemen.
In this context, Hans Jakob Schindler, the founder and current director of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), stated that organizations like ISIS or Al-Qaeda, which are significantly successful in West, Central, and East Africa, often do not make headlines. He suggested that Al-Qaeda and ISIS may attempt to transfer their fighters or terrorist cells.
In an interview with “Al-Bawaba,” Schindler also warned that ISIS is seeking to carry out large-scale attacks in Europe. They will try repeatedly, just as Al-Qaeda did until it succeeded on September 11.
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When comparing the threats posed by Al-Qaeda and ISIS, he said: Fortunately for us, their network in Africa is focused exclusively on expanding the territories they control, recruiting more fighters, and acquiring more weapons, but not on attacking Europe.
He also highlighted that the civil war in Yemen has become so dire that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is now more concerned with survival than with carrying out significant attacks, except for the 2019 attack in Pensacola (USA), where they managed to infiltrate the Saudi Air Force.
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Numerous studies have also emphasized that combating terrorist movements in Africa is not limited to military efforts but requires a comprehensive strategy aimed at achieving genuine economic, political, and social development to eradicate the environment in which these movements thrive.
Many counterterrorism experts have warned of ISIS‘s attempts to attack European countries again, this time using chemical weapons, which keeps relevant authorities across Europe on high alert to prevent any potential terrorist operations.
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The newspaper “El Confidencial” reported on its website that the United Nations Security Council has established a committee and an analytical support team to monitor sanctions against the terrorist organization ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other similar groups.
