Soufan Group: Four countries prepared for terrorism after US withdrawal from Africa

Ahmed Sultan

Sufan Group, which is concerned with intelligence and international security, said that Burkina Faso has been transformed by terrorist activity and sectarian differences into a focus for terrorist groups in Africa.

Violence nearby

The group said in a recent report that violence is growing in Africa, pointing out that the situation in Burkina Faso has been affected by the situation in neighboring Mali, where a number of terrorist groups adopt jihadist ideology.

Terrorist groups in Burkina Faso and Mali benefit from sophisticated weapons looted from Libyan army warehouses during the uprising against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, according to Soufan Group.

The group considered that the wave of new terrorism sweeping countries stood defiant against the penetration of terrorism, such as Burkina Faso, which turned into a new incubator of terrorism.

At the end of April, the Islamic State announced the establishment of a new mandate called the Central African State. The so-called Islamic State includes Burkina Faso and Congo.

The so-called Central African Information Office broadcast a video of ISIS operatives swearing allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and talking about the military campaign being waged by international forces.

Four new countries

The Soufan Group predicted that Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana and Togo would be potential strongholds for the spread of ISIS terrorism that currently afflicts Africa.

According to US intelligence sources, the Islamic State branch in Africa is the strongest branch after the branch of the central organization in Syria and Iraq, according to previous reports to Defense One specialized in military affairs.

The group noted that France is leading the fight against terrorism in Africa, pointing out that the French military operations have achieved multiple successes, but its aftermath affected the local population.

About 700,000 people have been displaced from their homes since the beginning of 2019 because of fighting between regular forces and terrorist groups in Africa, the Soufan Group said.

Jihadist rivalry: Al Qaeda on the line

The frequency of terrorist operations has increased fourfold over the past two years, targeting all segments of the local population, and the Islamic State terrorist organization has begun attacking Catholic and Protestant churches and killing a number of its pastors and frequentants.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and ISIS terrorist groups have launched a series of terrorist attacks throughout West Africa.

Soufan Group described the attacks as “jihadist” competition in West Africa, adding that the terrorist organizations are benefiting from these terrorist attacks in attracting new elements and obtaining sources to finance their terrorist operations.

ISIS operatives in West Africa attacked a series of easy targets, such as hotels and schools, to convince the local population of its strength and to try to portray the organization more than its real power.

Terrorist organizations have recently launched a polarization campaign focused on promoting sectarianism and urging West African Muslims to join terrorist organizations to defend Islam.

The Soufan Group said that the sectarian tensions between Muslims and Christians, and the weakness of the security services allowed the organization of Daesh and others to expand in Africa.