Terrorism rages in Mali as bloody attack kills 25 soldiers

Sherif Abdel Zahir

Terrorism has increased in Africa recently, as ISIS and al-Qaeda are trying to compensate for the loss of their territory in Syria and Iraq by acquiring new areas in Africa, especially in regions suffering from fragile security and sectarian conflicts.

On Tuesday, April 7, the Malian government announced that 25 soldiers were killed and six wounded in an attack by armed militants in the north of the country.

Mali has become a hotspot for ISIS and al-Qaeda activity, as the terrorist organizations are taking advantage of the state of insecurity there. A wave of violence has been witnessed since 2015, when Amadou Koufa group emerged and enlisted a large number Fulani youth. The group the joined Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), which is the main coalition linked to al-Qaeda in Africa’s Sahel region.

Intensified presence

In early 2019, former ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who was killed in late October 2019, blessed the presence of ISIS elements in Africa and announced the establishment of ISIS States of West and Central Africa. Since that time, the terrorist organization has intensified its presence in the area by launching operations against civilians and military personnel.

Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa fatwa observatory warned in November 2019 of the escalation of terrorist operations by ISIS in Mali. It also warned of the danger of the main extremist terrorist groups and organizations merging into one entity so that they can launch attacks and carry out more powerful and dangerous terrorist operations.

The observatory explained that ISIS is seeking to launch more bloody terrorist operations so as to return to the scene again and prove its ability to commit attacks, especially after the killing of Baghdadi.

Terror relations

Strong ties have recently linked ISIS and al-Qaeda with the goal of aligning together and coordinating in Africa. According to a study by the Future Center for Advanced Research & Studies (FARAS), the terrorist activities in the region are not random, but rather part of a targeted campaign aimed at uniting the terrorist organizations under a single banner with a common goal.

Hesham al-Najjar, a researcher specializing in Islamist groups, told the Reference that terrorist organizations are taking advantage of the deteriorating security situation, sectarian conflicts and difficult living conditions in Africa in order to launch more terrorist operations, and he expects the situation of violence will expand in the African region over the coming period.