Soldiers from the Mozambican army patrol the streets following an attack from insurgents, on March 7, 2018 in Mocimboa da Praia, Mozambique [Adrien Barbier/AFP]
The recent raid by supposedly ISIL-linked insurgents on the northern Mozambican city of Palma, which left dozens of civilians dead and displaced 30,000 others, has given rise to a narrative that Africa is now a hotbed for international terror groups and should be the next main front in the global “war on terror. Such sweeping framing, if uncritically embraced, could result in the further militarisation of the region. But militarisation would not resolve, and may even exacerbate, Mozambique’s insurgency problem.
In bid to boost its profile, Islamic State turns to Africa s militants deccanherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from deccanherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In Bid to Boost Its Profile, ISIS Turns to Africaâs Militants
Violence by Islamist extremists in Africa reached a record high last year. Now, the Islamic State is using those attacks to project an image of strength.
Waiting for relatives this month outside the port of Pemba, Mozambique, as evacuees arrived by boat from an area battered by extremists.Credit.Alfredo Zuniga/Agence France-Presse â Getty Images
April 7, 2021Updated 8:08 a.m. ET
JOHANNESBURG â The Islamic Stateâs self-declared caliphate has fallen, its fighters have dispersed and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has been killed.
But two years after it suffered stinging defeats in Syria and Iraq, the terrorist group has found a new lifeline in Africa, where analysts say it has forged alliances with local militant groups in symbiotic relationships that have pumped up their profiles, fund-raising and recruitment.
Moz President: IS-linked militants chased from Palma – The Citizen citizen.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from citizen.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.