CTC-1267 Committee Joint Open Briefing on ISIL in Africa

(Thursday, 7 April 2022)

Thank you, Mr Chair. I also thank briefers for their useful insights.

2. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations continue to be the most serious threat to international peace and security. Terrorist actors across the globe continue to target innocent people, security personnel, infrastructures, using terror and destruction as weapons to intimidate populations and governments.

3. In past few years, the terrorist threat spectrum has evolved rapidly. While ISIL has faced serious setback in its core conflict zone of Iraq and Syria, it managed to expand its presence and strengthen its influence in parts of Africa and South Asia, through its regional affiliates.

Easy access to new and emerging technologies has been further exploited by terrorist groups in Africa, for disseminating their propaganda, transferring funds and raising finances. Drones have been used to monitor movements of security forces and peacekeepers making them vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

3. The ongoing conflicts in several parts of Africa, such as Sahel, East and Central Africa have been exploited by terrorist groups. Traffickers and transnational organized criminal groups have also provided a convenient network to terrorists to recruit cadre, generate revenues and acquire arms. In past two years, these factors have further been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic.

Consequently, ISIL affiliates and other terrorist groups in Africa have grown very fast in many parts of Africa and has threatened to reverse the democratic and developmental gains achieved over several decades.

4. Besides, the linkages of these affiliates with global entities should not be underestimated. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the risk of ISIL affiliates and other terrorist groups in Africa taking inspiration from acts of terror from Afghan soil remains high. In this context, we underline the need to fully implement UN Security Council resolution 2593.

5. With this background, Mr Chair, I would like to make the following points:

• One, in prolonged conflict zones where ISIL and Al-Qaeda linked or inspired groups have embedded themselves, countries, particularly those seeking to establish democratic institutions, may try to co-opt ISIL and Al-Qaida elements as part of their national reconciliation efforts. Such efforts are not only futile but also dangerous. Terrorists have no convictions for democratic polity or faith in values it represents. Engaging them in national reconciliation will only provide legitimacy to terrorism. What we need is a zero-tolerance policy to terrorism.
• Two, in some conflicts, terrorists attempt to influence and control political agenda. They try to offer themselves as a viable political stakeholder or alternate to achieve peace, by offering basic social services, conduit for delivery of humanitarian aid and portraying themselves as “benign actors”. We should never allow such pretensions to succeed. Any compromise with terrorism will be a huge setback to democracy and democratic values.
• Three, we need to abandon double standards when dealing with terrorism. We cannot divide terrorists into good or bad categories, based on our convenience. All terrorists should be dealt with the same yardstick – which is to counter them without any exception.
• Four, we need to acknowledge the links between terrorist groups, transnational organized crime networks and piracy. Such nexus also facilitates illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Proliferation and use of IEDs for targeting security forces has become a weapon of choice for terrorist groups in Africa, particularly in Sahel. While countries of the region need to show the political will and employ affective arms and ammunition management, efforts of states shall be supported through adequate capacity building through UN agencies aimed at breaking this nexus.
• Five, over time, terrorist groups in Africa have regionalized their theatre of operation through cross-border incursions. National governments in some cases, particularly in conflict affected countries, face lack of adequate resources, capabilities, trainings and equipment and therefore, cannot challenge these terrorist groups by acting in silos. The perception that security is confined only to the national boundaries is incorrect when dealing with terrorist groups in Africa. It is inevitable that the countries of the region come together, combine their strengths and synergies, pool their resources, and work on a security model which is effective and sustainable. Security initiatives such as MNJTF, SADC, AMISOM, Joint Force of G5 Sahel have proven their success in countering terrorism. These are Africa’s home-grown solutions, led by African countries who have better understanding of their issues. The international community should provide sustainable and adequate financial and logistical support to these regional security initiatives. It is more so necessary in the backdrop of receding presence of international security forces in Sahel. Otherwise, countries will try and seek assistance elsewhere.
• Six, the Security Council recently adopted resolution 2610, which calls on member states to actively list individuals and entities who are involved in terrorist activities. We encourage African states to identify key terrorist actors and place them on sanctions list, restricting their movement and freezing their assets.

Finally Mr Chair, to discourage terrorist groups from any misadventure, a global call to fight terrorist groups like ISIL and Al-Qaeda and its affiliates attempting to subvert and suppress legitimate democratic aspirations of people, is need of the hour.

I thank you Mr Chair.