×

Most Widely Read Newspaper

DHQ silent as US says ISWAP, Al-Qaeda taking over West Africa

chief-of-defence-staff-abayomi-gabriel-olonisakin2

Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja

The United States Africa Command has said that the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda terrorist groups were gradually taking over the West African region after being displaced in Syria and Iraq.

Commander of the US Special Operations Command, Africa, Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, noted that the extremist groups had begun deploying strategies to re-establish themselves in the region and expand further in the continent without drawing attention.

Speaking during a virtual media briefing with journalists on Tuesday, the commander disclosed that the Al-Qaeda  had expanded in Mali, and had moved into northern Burkina Faso, where they attacked infrastructure, took out local governance and security forces, and currently controlling the local economy and exerting control over the population.

He said, “We are seeing them continue to move further south in Burkina Faso towards those littoral nations in the Gulf of Guinea, and also further west towards Senegal and West Africa. So, that’s concerning to us as we watch them continue to move throughout the region.”

Anderson observed that some aggrieved local terrorist groups were being galvanised into a larger ideology and movement, stressing that al-Shabaab, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda , was already instigating instability in Somalia in order to destabilise the horn of Africa.

He stated that the extremist group was exploiting the humanitarian crisis in the Sahel to gain deeper roots in the region and in West Africa with Islamic State, West Africa and Grand Sahara.

Related News

READ ALSO: Suspected kidnappers escape arrest at Enugu police checkpoint

The groups, according to him, have established affiliates or leverage local grievances and consolidate this into a larger movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, Mozambique, as well as in Somalia.

He noted, “They are looking to Africa to try to find a means to re-establish themselves. And we can’t forget that Al-Qaeda  has African roots and has a lot of African connection as well.”

The Coordinator,  Defence Media Operations,  Maj. Gen. John Enenche,  could not be reached for comment as calls to his phone rang out.  He had yet to reply an SMS sent to him on the plot by the terrorist groups as of the time of filing this report.

Copyright PUNCH.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Join The Punch Newspapers Channel