Africa main target of DAESH group

RABAT, May 11, (Agencies): Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah headed the country’s delegation partaking in a ministerial meeting of the global coalition to defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS), better known as DAESH, held in Morocco’s Marrakech at the joint invitation of Morocco and the US.

Addressing the gathering, the minister thanked Morocco and the US for co-hosting this first-ofits-kind gathering in the African continent to weigh anti-IS efforts.

He said the trust of the countries in the global coalition and its groups has become very valuable and significant for the continuation of counter-terrorism in the region at all levels, welcoming the 85th member, Benin joining the coalition, which reflects its obvious interest in Africa.

He added that out of belief in the big role played by the UN and its bodies in establishing the pillars of security and stability all over the world, the countries should commit to taking the required measures to fight terrorist in all its forms and manifestations as per international law, mainly international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

A senior U.S. official said Wednesday the world must remain vigilant about the continued threat posed by the Islamic State group around the globe - especially in Africa - a reminder of an unfinished war despite the overwhelming preoccupation with the conflict in Ukraine.

Victoria Nuland, the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, said the threat from IS was particularly high on the African continent, which she said saw nearly 500 IS terrorist incidents in 2021 resulting in the deaths of more than 2,900 people.

“At the same time as we are preventing the resurgence of (IS) in Iraq and Syria, we need to remain vigilant to the continued threat it poses elsewhere in the world, especially here on the African continent,” she said.

Nuland spoke at the opening session in the Moroccan city of Marrakech of the annual gathering of members of the global anti-IS coalition. She is co-chairing this year’s meeting of the 8-yearold, 83-member bloc with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. The gathering aims to reaffirm attendees’ shared determination to continue fighting IS.

Nuland, the third highest-ranking U.S. diplomat, replaced Secretary of State Antony Blinken who tested positive for COVID-19.

A motorist passes by a flag of the Islamic State group in central Rawah, 175 miles (281 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, July 22, 2014. Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group met in Morocco on May 11, to discuss ongoing efforts in the campaign. (AP)

In this photo provided by Azov Special Forces Regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard Press Office, an Azov Special Forces Regiment’s serviceman, injured during fighting against Russian forces, poses for a photographer inside the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, May 10. (AP)