With Iran awaiting its fate from Western powers concerned about its nuclear advancement, Middle Eastern jihadist groups have faced crippling defeat through brilliantly planned retaliation by Israel -- aided, to an erratic extent, by the United States and United Kingdom.
Islamist extremists are focusing anew their efforts to establish a global Caliphate, through their usual tactics of terror and upheaval, by permeating the continent of Africa.
A report from the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute notes that in 2024, although, a primary exponent of terror, Islamic State, "is no longer anchored in the Middle East, many of its most prolific and active branches are now located in Africa, where ISIS branches regularly claim attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Mozambique, and Nigeria."
In a similar vein, the Africa Report this month called Africa "a growing breeding ground for terror activities," and quoted security analyst Beverly Ochieng saying: "Islamic State has in recent months publicised Africa as the go-to destination for activities and presence."
The accompanying map reveals escalating jihadist efforts in numerous African countries, most of which do not have the resources or ability to counter those often ruthless efforts. Even the vaunted African Union says, in an exposé, that it "lacks a coherent plan to fight terrorism" -- on the increase in the region.
As expected from radical Islamists, Christians in those nations are marked for elimination. "Africa has become the epicenter of radical Islamic terrorism," Charles Jacobs and Uzay Bulut point out.
"The number of Christians intentionally murdered, let alone tortured, raped, kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam far exceeds the number of Gazans killed unintentionally as Israel directs its fire at terrorists who hide behind civilians. Indeed, Israel is defending its population from the very same jihadist assaults faced by African Christians."
The constant attacks upon defenseless Christians in Africa is shamefully ignored by most of the world's press. Intelligence agencies of the West's major powers are, no doubt, aware of this situation, but at this crucial stage for the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Ukraine, priorities are understandably focused elsewhere. Africa, it seems, is simply not a priority for the West at this time -- and that appears exactly why China, taking advantage of this vacuum, is making deep inroads throughout Africa (and the other unprioritized continent, South America) economically, financially, and politically – predominantly through their "Belt and Road" seductive-sounding loan initiatives, many of which turn out to be debt-traps.
The main instigator of jihadist terror in Africa still appears to be the Islamic State (ISIS). With ideologically like-minded groups – most of which are active iterations of the broader Muslim Brotherhood movement, promoted by Qatar through its Al-Jazeera television network – their ultimate aim is an Islamic Caliphate under Sharia law. ISIS is affiliated with Al-Shabaab – one of a number of splinter groups who operate in different regions of Africa. Al-Shabaab is predominantly active in Somalia, from where the group instigates attacks in Mozambique - a country that has common borders with Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa, and Swaziland – all of which are highly vulnerable to Islamic influence and jihadist terror.
In a strategy described as ISIS's "global long game", the movement aims to permeate all of Africa. Currently, its affiliates successfully operate in "Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Somalia, Mozambique, and West Africa." In short, from the most northernly part of Africa (Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia), extending south through Somalia to Mozambique -- while likely aiming for the southernmost tip of South Africa, Cape Point. In West Africa, ISIS has representation and influence in Nigeria, Mali, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique in the east. The group uses violence wherever it goes.
The ultimate objective of Islamic jihadists, appears to be to penetrate the United States. Al-Qaida's leader Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, declared:
"The military work is to target firstly the head of global infidels America, and her ally Israel, and then her local allies who rule our countries. Targeting America aims at exhausting and haemorrhaging it, in order for it to end like the Soviet Union did, and isolate itself due to its military, human, and economic losses, and subsequently ease its grip on our countries, and its allies to begin falling one after another."
Furthermore, all Westerners are targets for attack. Al-Zawahiri continues:
"If you can kill a disbelieving American or European — especially the spiteful and filthy French — or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah and kill him in any manner or way."
Consequently, it is in the interests of the West, especially the United States as the dominant military power and protector of global freedom, that assistance be rendered to those African countries, which, faced with Islamic jihadist terror, desire help. The reality in Africa is that there is no standing army in the 54-nation continent, south of the Sahara, which is capable of successfully countering and eliminating these terror attacks.
In Nigeria, the most populous country, the nation's Christians suffer continual attacks by ISIS, originally a splinter group of Boko Haram. Since 2009, more than 350,000 Nigerians have been murdered by Boko Haram, at least 30,000 of them under the nearly ten-year rule of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who admitted having failed to keep his promise of securing Nigeria:
"In his inaugural address, Mr Buhari vowed to tackle 'head on' the Boko Haram insurgents who at the time had taken over several local government areas in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
"He vowed to crush Boko Haram within three months and recover all the territories it had seized."
Despite apparently half-hearted efforts to eradicate the threat, Nigeria's military does not make much headway, reportedly largely due to corruption and "failure to address the root cause":
"Experts say that it is not that people in the north-east sympathise with Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State's West Africa Province, but that neglect from the authorities and desperation often drive people into the hands of the militants....
"He points to a lack of good governance that leaves the population impoverished, frustrated and uneducated as 'one huge root cause'".
The Africa Report of January 10, 2025, reports:
"Security experts say the Islamic State (IS) jihadist militant group is capitalising on issues such as severe governance challenges, political instability and weak institutions in Africa to surge and make territorial gains in regions across the continent."
The same contention applies to the East African nations of Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique, and many others. While there are many paramilitary groups or private military contractors, as they prefer to be called, in Africa which engage in countering terrorism, these are often for-profit or politically affiliated; generally, to specific political entities who, for their own purposes, sub-contract them out.
South Africa, arguably the wealthiest country in Africa, nevertheless finds the ANC government poorly equipped and trained militarily and ill-prepared for jihadist incursions.
The US Department of State wrote in its "Country Reports on Terrorism 2022: South Africa":
"South Africa's border security is challenging because of its numerous land, sea, and air ports of entry for international travellers. Multiple South African law enforcement agencies police its borders, but they often are stove piped. Inadequate communication and equipment limit their border control ability."
Immensely mineral-rich and strategically located, Africa is a continent of vital importance to the West. It extends from the Mediterranean in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south. It is urgent that Western leaders appreciate the danger of further entrenchment of Islamist jihadism on the continent. That dubious statesman, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, was one of the first to warn of the insidious increase in Islamism in Africa.
Hence, it is imperative that the West, particularly the US and Europe, significantly increase its presence in Africa. Only in this way is there a chance of containing Islamist jihadism, and ensuring that democracy prevails on the world's second-largest continent; one with a population that could soon reach two billion. At the same time, China's efforts in Africa also need containing.
Concerning China's and Russia's African agenda, Lt. Col. Joseph G. Bruhl of the US Army's Southern European Task Force, Africa, wrote:
"Instead of a problem to be solved, China and Russia view Africa as an opportunity to be seized. From 2007-2017, U.S. trade with Africa dropped by 54% while China's grew by 220%. While Russia's total investment in Africa pales in comparison to the U.S. and China, it's growing—by 40% since 2015. In 2019, Russia held the first-ever Russia-Africa summit—hosting 45 African heads of state. China holds a similar event called the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation. The U.S. hosts no such initiative."
Why not?
Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A lawyer by profession, he is member of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, a faculty member at Intercollegiate Studies Institute, the Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden – the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring Truths), Document Danmark, and others.
