What role do Western countries play in the rise of terrorism in Africa?
The rise in terrorist activities in various parts of Africa has become a major problem in the continent and in many countries around the world. Currently, several terrorist groups operate in different parts of Africa.
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, has said that security failures and illegal actions by Western countries have significantly contributed to the spread of terrorism in Africa.
Speaking at a Security Council meeting on terrorism in Africa, Nebenzya explained that African nations witnessed an increase in international terrorism after the Western military invasion of Libya in 2011. The NATO-led military coalition's intervention in Libya created a favorable environment for terrorist groups to strengthen and spread across Africa.
The activities of terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab in East Africa, especially Somalia, and Boko Haram in West Africa, as well as other groups such as ISIS or Daesh in the Sahel region, have long disrupted the security of various African countries. According to estimates, more than 10,000 terrorists from the two major groups, ISIS and al-Qaeda, are present in Africa .
In recent years, the rise of terrorist groups has been driven by political and economic challenges in African countries stemming from Western neo-colonialism. The Libyan crisis, which was a result of Western interventionist policies, is considered a major factor in the spread of terrorism in Africa .
Nebenzya stressed that the West destroyed the Libyan government and economy under the pretext of defending the country. NATO's bombing of Libya provided an opportunity for terrorist groups to strengthen and spread across the continent.
After the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya, a country with significant geopolitical importance and abundant oil and gas resources, was plunged into political instability. Internal conflict between Libyan political factions continues to this day, and the country has become a center of terrorism that has affected other African nations such as Tunisia, Niger and Mali.
Moreover, the increasing insecurity in Africa has given Western countries a pretext for a military presence on the continent. Over the past 20 years, France has established military bases in Sahel countries such as Mali and Niger under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Soldiers from other European countries such as Germany have also been on the continent under the same pretext.
Although European countries and the United States have been in Africa for over a decade under the pretext of fighting terrorism, no serious efforts have been made to eradicate terrorism. Instead, they have been using the continent as a means to achieve their economic and strategic goals .
Wars like the one in Ukraine and Russia have also contributed to this situation. Weapons sent to Ukraine by Western countries have been ending up in the hands of terrorist groups in the Sahel region. Isaa Konfourou, Mali's representative to the United Nations, warned that these weapons have increased crime, terrorism and violence in the region.
The rise of terrorist groups is now a major threat to all nations. According to Brett Holmgren, head of the US National Counterterrorism Center, ISIS has made Africa its new operating area, and its activities on the continent have become more dangerous.
This report emphasizes that the many years of foreign military presence in Africa have not brought any solution to the problem of terrorism. Instead, it has contributed to the strengthening of terrorist groups, thus continuing to use the continent for the personal interests of Western powers.
