Africa lost terrorists

separate group. One group’s successes feeds another’s and the air becomes superheated.

“And while we are consumed with the challenges of tackling the pandemic, these groups have been flourishing,” she added.

Prof Kelshall said physical territory is now almost irrelevant.

“IS in Africa is about control over populations. That will denote their ‘Caliphate’. It’s about community.you carry it with you wherever you fight.”

Because of this, IS and, to an extent, Al Qaeda focus on areas where dissatisfaction over foreign investment and imported labour is highest. Trade between Africa and the UK increased 7.5 per cent to £36billion from 2018 to 2019 and, post-brexit, has become even more meaningful.

The UK, along with the US and UAE, are leading the effort in beating IS with countering and undermining its influence campaigns.

“IS still has the ability to operate a hugely sophisticated propaganda network. We meet it head-on wherever it appears,” said a senior Government source.

Prof Kelshall, added that education was “the only weapon we can use”.

“We have taken our eye off the ball, and there are movements which we are not noticing and my concern is the new Al Qaeda strategy of conducting negotiations, much like the Taliban in Afghanistan,” she said.

“There is already a stated aim for AQ affiliate JNIM to negotiate a cessation of hostilities in Mali. And there are indications thatal-shabaab will follow suit in Somalia.

“If this is allowed to happen, we would be legitimising these Jihadist organisations and allow a situation whereby we have governance by them.”