«Alliance of interests» between terrorism and organized crime in Africa

By: Dr. Mubarak Ahmed

The functional alliance between terrorist groups and organized criminal gangs in Africa is one of the most prominent features of the African state crisis, which continue to suffer from a decline in their ability to carry out their main functions, primarily the security function; which led to the failure of many countries of the continent to control its vast borders, especially in areas such as the coast and the desert, which have become a haven for many extremist terrorist organizations from the far west coast of Africa to the far east coast of Africa, the most prominent of these groups are Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Morocco countries, Ansar al-Din, Jihad and Tawhid, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, Daesh in the great desert and the Niger Delta avengers.

The phenomenon of interdependence between terrorist groups and networks of organized crime in Africa has been crystallized through each party’s attempt to employ the other

to achieve its objectives, terrorist groups resorted to two major strategies in this regard, the first is to engage in criminal activity to compensate the poor funding, after an international will to emphasize financial flows against terrorist organizations, the terrorist groups’ practices for criminal activity have multiplied, such as kidnappings and ransom, human trafficking, drugs,  goods smuggling and the arms trade, these practices have been carried out by most of the terrorist organizations on the African continent.

The second strategy is that terrorist organizations enhancing their relations with the organized crime networks deployed in Africa, by working closely with influential tribes that control the routes that facilitate smuggling, this has produced the phenomenon of hybrid terrorism in Africa, in which tribal, religious, identity and criminal dimensions overlap.

The study therefore seeks to answer an important question: what is the relationship between terrorist groups and organized crime in Africa?

In addition to this question, there are a series of sub-questions that complement the main question, most notably, the reasons for the functional alliance between terrorism and organized crime in Africa, and the most famous patterns and forms of cooperation between the two sides? And the extent to which African countries succeed in disengaging between the coalition of terrorist organizations and organized criminal gangs?

And if the activities of this alliance will increase in the future and become out of control in the context of its employment within the struggle of international wills in a continent that has not yet recovered from the colonial legacy and the seizure of its wealth?

Based on the above, the study is divided into four main themes, the first theme is dealing with the most prominent terrorist organizations in Africa, the second theme deals with the causes of alliance between terrorist groups and organized crime in Aftica.

The third theme deals with the forms of cooperation and its images between terrorist groups and organized crime,

The fourth and final theme deals with the African and international policies to confront the coalition of terrorist groups and organized crime in Africa.

Firstly: The most prominent terrorism organizations in Africa

There are numerous terrorist organizations scattered throughout the African continent. The most important of these are the following:

Boko Haram Group: The group originated in 2002 in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri, Boko Haram means the western education is haram according to the principles and the beliefs of this group So it turned to fight against the spread of Western education, which was considered to have harmed thousands of Muslims who suffered from marginalisation and unemployment- according to the group’s vision – the group’s confrontation with the government varied through the implementation of terrorist operations that were not limited only inside Nigeria, but extended to include multiple regions of Africa, and finding strategic tribal areas to move with ease, and to enable providing arms, gear and funding through the routes linking Nigeria to Niger and Mali, the Hausa tribes, based north on the border with Niger, are the main stronghold of the Boko Haram group, which has announced its pledge to Daesh.

Boko Haram is one of the most hard-line, extremist and maneuverable groups in the region with the support of tribes. Even observers called it “Taliban Africa”

But the official name of the group since its foundation was «Ahl al-Sunnah Group for Da’wah and Jihad».

Mujahideen Youth Movement in Somalia: Founded in early 2004, after splitting from the Union of Islamic Courts, which was defeated in front of the forces of the Somali interim government, and the movement follows  Al Qaeda, led by «Ayman al-Zawahiri»,     intellectually, the movement’s members numbers range from 3,000 to 7,000, it is conducting operations closer to guerrilla warfare, using bombs and explosives against Somali institutions, and against AMISOM, which is made up of the African Union, and it is the forces found to counter the expansion of the Movement’s activity and to prevent its control over new geographical areas.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Morocco: an extension of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which broke away from the Armed Islamic Group in 1997, in protest against the targeting of civilians by the group, and the work of the group focused initially on military sites, then it turned to the abduction of foreigners, and then its work expanded to regional dimensions, especially after  Ayman al-Zawahiri declared the alliance with the Salafist Group for preaching and Combat in Algeria, to become Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Morocco.

Ansar al-Din Movement: This group was founded by Ayad Ag Ghali, a member of the families of the historical leaders of the Tuareg Avogas tribes, which led the armed rebellion against the financial forces in the early nineties of the last century, after signing the peace agreement between the government and the Tuareg rebels in 1992, Ayad Ag Ghali served as Consul General of the Republic of Mali in Jeddah, but he returned to Azuad and took the Aggarga mountain range a headquarter for him.

Following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya, the Tuareg fighters who fought alongside him fled to Azzawad, armed with an arsenal of weapons, enticed them to declare the rebellion against the central government in Bamako under the leadership of Iyad Ag Ghali; where he called his group Ansar al-Din,

and raising the banner of al-Qaeda, calling for the application of Islamic law and the declaration of war on the financial government, and the French army, which intervened to stop the rebellion against the government.

Jihad and Tawhid Movement in West Africa: The movement emerged after the split of its leaders on Al Qaeda, they established special battalions of Arab tribesmen in Azwad, Mali, like the Ansar al-Qaeda organization, which includes Tuareg fighters, the movement made its first statement in October 2011 and is described as the most violent armed terrorist group in northern Mali.

Support Islam and Muslims group: Four extremist groups active in the African coast region, in March 2017, announced their incorporation into a single organizational entity, called the Islam and Muslim Support Group led by Ayad Ghali, These four entities are Murabitun, Ansar al-Din, Masinah Brigades and the Emirate of the desert region, which includes three main battalions: the Masked, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Al Furqan, Leaders of the Allied terrorist movements met together on a single platform to announce the formation of the new group and its media arm that was called El-Zalaqa.

The new alliance also announced its allegiance to al-Qaeda and its symbols, a variety of motives contributed in this coalition between the four extremist entities – according to specialists in the studies of the terrorism, the first: the decline of the Daesh organization in the Arab countries of conflict, especially in Syria and Iraq, after the organisation lost strategic areas as well as vitality; which made these entities aware of the possible negative repercussions of the possibility of penetrating Daesh within the African continent as alternative sanctuaries, the second motive is linked to al-Qaeda awakening and the tendency of the entities under its umbrella to merge and form the bloc as a general platform for its activities, in order to shape the features of the post- Daesh era.

As for the third motive which is the most important, is the existence of favorable hubs within Africa to expand al-Qaeda, in the absence of restrictions on the movement of individuals and extremist groups in border areas; the thing that made observers’ forecasts suggest that they could turn into al-Qaeda’s third-generation land.

Secondly: the reasons for the alliance between terrorist groups and organized crime

Several factors have contributed to the crystallization of the functional alliance between terrorist groups and organized criminal gangs in Africa, which can be highlighted in the following elements:

The vulnerability of some African countries and the spread of poverty: The weakness and fragility of some African States, particularly in the border areas, which suffer from the absence of security agencies and institutions, have contributed to the growing link between terrorist groups and networks of organized crime in different parts of the African continent; which led to spreading trafficking in narcotic drugs, smuggling of energy resources, trafficking in antiquities, ransom kidnapping, armed robbery and other activities that collectively constitute a parallel and lucrative economy in the proceeds of these gangs and terrorist organizations.

The spread of poverty in a number of African regions has contributed to the blending of criminal gangs and extremist groups, which the International Crisis Group called the “Islamist gangs”, and it is the phenomenon that resulted from the emergence of groups that combine  jihad and organized crime within transnational trafficking networks; which suffer from high rates of poverty within these networks, by exploiting their anger at the economic and social conditions, and their desire to protect the territorial integrity of the state, and the formation of a profitable parallel economy in its revenues, in what is known as «the economy of fraud», it is located in several areas of Africa, including the area of «Ben Qardan» on the Libyan-Tunisian border within the networks called «Dolab», specialized in the smuggling of goods and people, and supported by tribal economic networks.

Employment of tribal power: Terrorist groups deployed in the countries of the African continent sought to employ tribal component, which extends in more than one state; to support the alliance between terrorist groups,and these tribes, especially those controlling smuggling outlets in return for attractive material returns, commensurate with the weight of the tribe and its status, and the extent of the spread of its members across the border areas in neighboring countries, to facilitate the transition.

Terrorist groups have created complex entanglements with organized crime networks, especially those involved in human trafficking, drug trafficking and arms smuggling, with the aim of strengthening their financial resources and supplying arms,  and helped them in this the alliances they created with some tribes scattered in the desert areas, such as the Tuareg in Mali, this which is nearby sea in Somalia, the large lake in Chad, and the close links between the Nigerian Boko Haram movement and the Hausa tribes, so that most of the group and its leaders are Hausa.

As can be seen from the relationship between the Big Desert Emirate of al-Qaeda, the tribes of Al-Barabish, the Ansar al-Din movement, the Arab tribes and the Tuaregs in Azwad, Mali,

In addition, the Fulani tribes represent the incubator of the Masina Liberation Front. The inability of African countries to integrate tribes, sects and clans living in those areas stretching from the Libyan desert to and around Nigeria, through Mali, contributed to enabling terrorist groups to grow in a free environment, which resulted in the outbreak of the epidemic breeding of extremists within the tribes, and the  engagement of tribesmen in dealing with the branches of terrorist organizations in a number of African countries; to take advantage of the proceeds of smuggling and illegal trade in the border areas, under control of the paths of deserts supplied by arms and fighters.

The provision of human resources to terrorist organizations: Africa is an alternative and potential havens for Daesh, after its defeat in its traditional areas of influence, both in Iraq and Syria, and with the decline in funding the organization’s operations, its alliance with organized crime gangs,

especially in the field of human smuggling has increased; in order to provide new fighters to join its lines,

as well as securing alternative sources of funding, from the proceeds of illicit activities with organized crime gangs, which explains why the number of fighters from sub,desert in African countries has increased in Daesh, particularly in Libya.

According to statistics released by the European Agency for the management of operational cooperation in the external borders of the European Union (Frontex) in early 2016, Daesh received huge sums of money to facilitate migration from sub-desert Africa to Europe and succeeded in diverting many illegal immigrants from Europe to join its lines.

International intervention: The internationalization of some African crises led to the alliance of terrorist groups with networks of organized crime. For example, NATO intervention to the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime didn’t lead to the stability of Libya, on the contrary, it has left behind a fertile environment in which terrorist groups and organized crime networks have developed, turning Libya into a regional security dilemma whose influence has affected border neighbors in sub-desert Africa and northern Chad and Niger.

Thirdly: Types of cooperation between terrorism and organized crime

There are many types of cooperation between terrorist organizations in Africa and organized crime, which can be highlighted in the following:

Abductions for ransom: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that the organized crime of terrorist groups amounts to approximately $ 3400 million per year,

including ransom payments for the release of hostages, protection of smuggling of goods, drugs and weapons,  using of such vast resources to fund training, the establishment of safe havens and the conduct of terrorist operations.

The kidnapping of Western hostages and the demand for a ransom for their release is one of the most prominent of these activities. The hostage-taking is estimated at $ 50 million a year.

The US Treasury estimates the revenues of the Boko Haram group at $ 10 million a year, according to the State Department’s annual report on terrorism in 2016,

Most of these proceeds come from kidnappings of foreigners or wealthy local citizens, and detain them until the ransom is paid and then released. One of the most prominent of these operations was the kidnapping of a Nigerian businessman and his release after a ransom of one million dollars. In another operation, a French family was abducted from northern Cameroon. The family members of seven were released after paying the ransom, And $ 3 million in February 2013.

Boko Haram networks operate in many criminal activities in Africa, mainly drug trafficking, the most important of which are cocaine, the kidnappings were also transformed into a lucrative industry for al-Qaeda; the organization was allowed to extend its influence in the coast and the desert; where kidnapping sites varied, such as southern Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania and Niger, as well as northern Mali.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Morocco has focused on the kidnapping of citizens of countries that are willing to negotiate ransom, most notably: the kidnapping of French, British, Swiss and other hostages; It is therefore the estimations refer to that the returns of abductions obtained by al-Qaeda, the Tawhid and Jihad Movement in West Africa, and intermediaries associated with kidnappings, ranging between 40 and 65 million dollars since 2008. The frequent hostage-taking has exposed tourism in the coast and desert region to collapse and thus reduced the opportunities for employment and profit outside of criminal activity.

Human trafficking: Human trafficking, or facilitating illegal migration, is one of the most important sources of funding for terrorist organizations in Africa, in

which its annual revenues were estimated to nearly US $ 1 billion,  according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data, these groups occupy between 50 and 70 per cent of them, terrorist organizations also exploit drug trafficking, particularly those from Latin America to Europe; where 10 per cent of smuggled cocaine passes through Europe through the coast and desert regions of Africa, generating an average annual income of $ 328 million, of which 14 per cent goes to terrorist organizations that control smuggling routes in the coast and desert.

Drug trafficking: The interest in  financing of terrorism, through the proceeds of drug trafficking, has emerged as a major problem since the events of September 11, 2001, after the transformation of Afghanistan during the 1990s, under the rule of the Taliban, to a global center for the production of opium poppy, Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda organization in Afghanistan found a safe haven to plan terrorist acts and turn Afghanistan into a state that sponsor drugs and terrorism. Therefore, the branches of the organization in different areas follow the same goal.

In Africa, the overlap between organized crime and terrorism has become so strong that some analysts have argued that al-Qaeda’s transformation from criminality to terrorism is to cover terrorism as a cover for crime; in order to make money, for this al-Qaeda in the Islamic Morocco, finds a vital ally in drug networks and barons,  to provide the necessary funding, especially under the policy of draining the sources of terrorist financing; drug trafficking has become a major source of money for terrorist groups and organizations deployed in African countries, particularly in North Africa and the regions of the coast and desert.

There are many indications that there is an alliance between terrorist groups and drug trafficking networks,

in a statement issued by an official in charge of combating smuggling and drugs in the Algerian Customs Authority, he pointed out that in most cases, it has been proven that there is a link between smuggling networks of drugs and commodities that launder their money and finance terrorism in some areas in Algeria, United Nations reports also indicate that some terrorist groups operating in the coast and desert have links to drug trafficking networks; they secure routes for them, in return of a large sums of money.

The growing phenomenon of warlords: the insecurity and the proliferation of weapons have become a major feature of African societies. The phenomenon of warlords has grown, especially in the vast countries, whose borders extend with countries that suffer from instability, as in the case of Libya, Sudan, Chad and Niger, which have common borders with Libya and are unable to control their borders, have become safe havens for terrorist groups and organized crime; they are the beneficiaries of the prolongation of the conflict and even feed it.

Libya, for example, as an African country has transformed by these factors and by the internal deficit of the government into a “transit” zone of  various kinds of arms; a threat to peace and security in Africa in general, which was clearly reflected in the Libyan reality, which did not know the decline of violence during the revolution and not even in the transitional stages; because of the weakness of post-revolution governments, and their failure to disarm these militias, which benefited from the proliferation of arms to impose their power and their illegal demands, in light of the increasing number of armed groups and registered as rebels; the number of armed groups multiplied several times after the official announcement of the liberation of the country.

The fighting stopped on October 23, 2011, and the number of people who registered with the Supreme Security Committee of the Ministry of the Interior reached 143 thousand, while official estimations referred that the number of those who took up arms against Gaddafi, and fought battles against his battalions reached 30 thousand fighters.

The war traders allowed the majority of citizens to possess all kinds of weapons; then it turned into a heavy burden on their security, and a major reason in the absence of the rule of law, and the lifestyle, which represents a catalyst for political instability, which can be used by regional and international forces and directed to serve their interests, and the liquidation of opponents in the African interior, whenever it wanted.

The attacks of the terrorist organizations of the Somali youth movement and the Boko Haram group on some army camps have enabled them to seize large amounts of weapons, such as in the Boko Haram attack on the Joza camp in Borno State in February 2014 .

Piracy and the smuggling of goods: Al Shabaab has a strong and diversified funding base. It receives revenue from royalties from other local terrorist organizations, commercial activities in Somali natural resources, revenues from maritime piracy, fees and taxes on local businesses in regions under power of the organisation.

Thirdly: Efforts to confront the coalition of terrorism with organized crime

The African continent is a model for the alliance between terrorist groups and organized crime networks. The interests of both parties were met in terms of the need for criminal networks to protect and secure routes of smuggling, the need of terrorist groups for sufficient funds to fund their terrorist schemes, therefore, a number of initiatives emerged aimed at confronting the alliance of terrorist groups, such as:

The founding of the G5 Group in the coast in 2014; as a result of the partnership among five African Governments; Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and the Niger; to promote economic and security cooperation in the coastal zone, in light of the increasing threats of terrorist groups.

The Group has moved to strengthen its joint security efforts through the formation of G5 forces in the coast; to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and human trafficking, adopted by the African Union Peace and Security Council of the African Union, it was recognized by the United Nations Security Council, supported by many international partners, and diversified US efforts to combat terrorism and organized crime in Africa. Two important initiatives were established by the United States of America: Partnership to combat terrorism across the desert (TSCTP), which was founded in 2005 and includes partners Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia, this initiative has evolved to strengthen the capacities of participating countries under the continuous US support, and help some countries such as Algeria and Morocco,

The second initiative is the Partnership for Combating Terrorism in the East African Region (PREACT), which was established in 2009 with funding from the United States as well, and includes a range of partners: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Comoros, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan and Sudan. ”

There are a number of dilemmas facing the regional initiatives to confront the coalition of terrorism and organized crime on the continent, the most important of which are: the lack of political will of some leaders of African countries, as well as lack of funding, which is still an obstacle to many initiatives, which allowed the international powers to intervene and impose their perceptions on the fight against terrorism on the continent. For example, the French leadership of the military intervention in Mali to suppress the rebels, it was not resolved and Mali is still in a spiral of political and security turmoil. Somalia in the 1990s.

The dilemma of these regional initiatives with international sponsorship is that they may compete with other initiatives emanating from the African context, leading to conflicts of effort, as in the competition between the coast and African countries, while the first in Nouakchott since February 2014, the second was established in 2010; it includes Algeria, Mali and Mauritania.

The conclusion:

The risks posed by the coalition of terrorist organizations and organized crime in Africa have increased over the past few years as many countries and societies have penetrated, which led it to be considered among the types of non-traditional security threats facing the international community in general and Africa in particular, where terrorist organizations and organized criminal networks are included among non-state actors who have resources, almost beyond the economies of some states, as well as trans-boundary influence.

This requires international mobilization to combat it, especially as African societies are vulnerable to tribal and ethnic fragility, all of which help to harness the relationship between terrorist groups and organized crime to serve the objectives of both parties. This requires the development of early warning mechanisms and the development of binding international legislation in the field of combating terrorism, such as those adopted in the fight against organized crime, especially in the absence of clear strategies developed by the countries of the continent in light of the strength and seriousness of the security challenge.