SW News: The Africa Center for Strategic Studies has reported that jihadist groups, primarily ISIS and al-Qaeda, were responsible for 5,110 violent events in Africa in 2021.

These events occurred mainly in five regions such as the western Sahel region, Somalia, the Lake Chad basin, northern Mozambique, and the Sinai Peninsula.
Reports claim that both groups are spreading their influence and have made Africa the new epicenter for jihadist violence. They have intensified their expansion efforts in Africa, though ISIS-affiliated groups continue to outnumber al-Qaeda groups on the continent.

Various factors play a key role in spreading jihadist ideology in Africa such as widespread endemic corruption, violent clashes between ethnic groups, the pursuit of popularity, strategic policies of Jihadist groups, and the influence of a twisted version of Salafism that involves a strict interpretation of the Qur’an as espoused by Salafi scholars. Wherever this ideology spreads – be it in Asia, Africa, or the Middle East – violent Islamist organizations can find a suitable environment to flourish and threaten global security.

The presence of ISIS and al-Qaeda in Africa, according to the US State Department’s 2020 Annex of Statistical Information is heavily weighted toward ISIS, which is represented by eight affiliates: ISIS-Somalia, ISIS-Libya, ISIS-Sinai, ISIS-Central Africa Province, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-Mozambique, ISIS-Democratic Republic of Congo, and ISIS-West Africa while al-Qaeda has three affiliates in Africa: Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), Al-Shabaab, and Ansaru.

ISIS-Core serves as the main point of dissemination for its affiliates’ media products. The core group offers personnel transfers, approves the replacement of leaders, provides training, shares its tactics and procedures, transfers money and weapons to its affiliates, and orchestrates attacks in areas where its affiliates operate. The reasons for affiliates to join the original ISIS group (ISIS-Core) are varied such as anticipating either individual or group benefits, such as global popularity, from aligning with the larger organization.

Al-Qaeda, meanwhile, also has increased its influence in Africa. Based in Somalia, the outfit has been one of the most active al-Qaeda groups in the world. JNIM, which arose from the merger of four jihadist groups that operated in the Sahel region of northern Africa, is another active al-Qaeda affiliate in Africa.
On one hand, the local governments lack the necessary resources to defeat these organizations. While on the other hand, US counterterrorism strategies in the region target terror group leaders by conducting military operations, offering training for law enforcement and military personnel, and deploying drones to target jihadists.

These approaches are efficient and help to mitigate the risks posed by ISIS and al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. However, policies that are more strategic in addressing the root causes of jihadist terrorism are needed to control their spread in Africa.