Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Africa the new frontline of Islamist terror
THE Mozambique massacre in which scores of victims were slaughtered – many beheaded – has highlighted a massive terror surge across Africa.
West Africa was already the new frontline against global jihad, with 300 British among 15,000 UN troops on a peace-keeping missions there.
In a separate struggle, 5,000 French soldiers are involved in firefights against jihadists in the region and the security nightmare is spreading.
Olivier Guitta, from Global Risk Consultancy, warned recently: “Africa is going to be the battleground of jihad for the next 20 years and it’s going to replace the Middle East.”
Thousands of local troops are also trying to beat back jihadists, whose numbers seem to grow by the day.
Terrorism is already threatening the entire Sahel region of sub-sahara Africa, with flashpoints in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger after migrating from Libya, Chad and all the way from the Middle East.
But the carnage in Palma, north Mozambique, in southern Africa, underlines a terrifying expansion across the entire continent.
And though they appeared to be an Isis-linked rabble, retired Colonel Lionel Dyck, whose private security company employees fought the insurgents, warned: “These were a different calibre of terrorist.”
It is also feared the weapons they used, such as mortars, were brought in from neighbouring Tanzania and the fighters appeared battle-hardened and even trained.
One security analyst said: “Once Islamic State was defeated in the Middle East and came to a halt in Libya its fighters had to migrate.
“Many of them moved into Chad and Niger and gravitated across to Mali, exploiting ungoverned space and an insecure government.
“Couple that with poverty, disaffected youth, civil wars and general dissatisfaction and you have an ideal recruiting tool.
“It almost doesn’t matter if they are Islamic State – there has been fluid movements between ISIS and al-qaeda and all the other networks and jihad sub-franchisees. Some groups have organised job-swaps, where you can do a kind of paid internship in another group to learn another form of guerilla terrorism.
“And it is spreading, because as we have seen in Mozambique, weak local security forces mean unless a government is directly threatened they are unable to come down hard.
“And if you think it doesn’t affect Britain, then think again - we have a huge diaspora in the UK and it only takes one person to become enthused by jihad to launch an attack.
“But it is also true to say that British firms have billions invested in oil companies and other financial interests across the continent.”
Experts also fear attacks like the one in Mozambique are sparked by local grievances from groups who then latch on to ISIS.
This chilling clearing house system means groups “bleed” into neighbouring areas, gravitating towards the latest flashpoint. Sometimes they are paid to fight but often the rewards of pillage and robbery are enough.
Global warming has also created food shortages, water shortages, migration and crippling poverty, again driving poor youths into the arms of the jihadi network.
A recent study by global risk researchers at Verisk Maplecroft warned seven out of 10 of the world’s most dangerous countries are now in Africa. A multi-european force is backing local troops in Mali in the UN’S Operation Minusma as well as the French-led counter fighting missions Operation Barkhane.
British “ranger battalions” will be ready to train and fight alongside local forces in Africa later this year.
Hundreds of British mobile infantry are based in Gao, Mali, while French troops to the north are fighting ferocious battles against insurgents. Our troops have also been training local forces in countries such as Senegal, Kenya and Nigeria to tackle terror.