On Thursday, 7 April 2022, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee held a joint open briefing at United Nations Headquarters, New York, on “ISIL in Africa: nature of threat and responses”.
“ISIL affiliates have established a presence in all regions of Africa. The increased use of narratives by ISIL — presenting the continent at the core of its fight and showcasing the increased volume of attacks perpetrated by ISIL affiliates […] — clearly demonstrates its interest in Africa,” stated H.E. Mr. T. S. Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, delivering introductory remarks in his capacity as Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.
Noting that the risk that a national stabilization effort might offer an opportunity for an ISIL (or Al-Qaida)-affiliated group to attain State power without disavowing its affiliation with terrorism should not be underestimated, he stressed the importance of distinguishing between political ideologies in a constitutional framework and radical and terrorist ideologies of terrorist groups operating outside the constitutional framework.
The joint open briefing was divided into two sessions. The first session examined the evolution of the threat posed by ISIL in Africa and the second explored Member States’ responses to the threat and the related challenges. Member States, United Nations experts, representatives of civil society, and researchers took part in the discussions.
Mr. Edmund Fitton-Brown, Coordinator of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring pursuant to resolutions 1526 (2004) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, led the first session by recalling ISIL’s expansion in Africa, from its initial influence in North Africa in the mid-2010s and its limited progress in Somalia, to its rapid expansion in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin and, more recently, in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He stressed the seriousness of the threat, noting that “Two of ISIL’s most developed regional networks and some of its most successful affiliates are located in the Continent” and concluding that “Africa has emerged in recent years as the continent most affected by terrorism”.
H.E. Mr. Martin Kimani, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations, noted that ISIL affiliates were exploiting ethnicity, social and economic challenges, local grievances and weak governance infrastructure to gain increasing control over territories on the continent. He called on States to ensure respect for diversity and inclusion, which he considered critical in addressing the vulnerabilities and sense of disaffection that many groups feel in different regions and States.
Mr. Martin Ewi of the Institute for Security Studies also discussed ISIL’s ability to attract followers in Africa, noting the complexity of online radicalization, which involved not only websites but also entertainment, music, and video content, as well as specialized discussion forums. Face-to-face recruitment also remained very strong and a key medium through which ISIL affiliates often capitalized on pre-existing local grievances. He concluded that people-centred counter-terrorism measures and the empowerment of communities were the most effective tools against ISIL.
Ms. Chania Lackey of the Global Center on Cooperative Security described the ways in which ISIL affiliates in Africa were funded. ISIL affiliates were largely self-financing, seeking out financing opportunities that were sustainable, expedient, and accessible. For example, ISIL affiliates exploited the gold mining business not only by extorting artisanal miners but also by mining and selling gold. There were avenues for detection and disruption at each financing stage (raising, storing, and moving) but such efforts would have limited success as long as the private sector was not meaningfully and effectively engaged.
The second session, on the response to ISIL’s threat in Africa, was opened by Mr. Weixiong Chen, CTED Acting Executive Director, who detailed the major challenges faced by Member States and some of the solutions for addressing them. He noted the importance of considering the multiple aspects that a robust response to Da’esh required. “A comprehensive approach to countering terrorism encompasses a full range of efforts, including countering the financing of terrorism while also facilitating economic growth; securing borders while also facilitating freedom of movement and access to livelihoods; controlling the proliferation of arms and ammunition without compromising safety; and securing justice for terrorist crimes while also encouraging reconciliation efforts”, he said.
Ms. Kelly Low, Chief of CTED’s Africa Section, highlighted the critical knowledge of civil society, sharing key outcomes of discussions held in 2021, which were captured in CTED’s report, “Civil society perspectives: ISIL in Africa - Key trends and developments”. Proposals made by civil society for a more effective response to ISIL included consistently protecting and respecting human rights; more closely collaborating with a broad range of stakeholders such as local communities, religious leaders, women and youth in order to develop psychological support and meaningful vocational programmes; and sensitizing security forces to the benefits of such partnerships. Engagement with communities was important, as was ensuring that support programmes not only benefited former members of terrorist groups but also supported communities and victims.
Lastly, Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa, Coordinator of the Counter-Terrorism Centre in Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Advisor, discussed the responses to the activities of Boko Haram, including its ISIL-affiliated branch, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Nigeria had prosecuted over 1,500 suspects, resulting in over 400 convictions; processed more than 1,000 former members of Boko Haram through Operation Safe Corridor; and identified 96 Boko Haram financiers through cooperation between its financial intelligence unit and 19 partner States.
During the concluding question-and-answer session, 10 members of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, as well as six other Member States and the European Union, took the floor. Their interventions addressed issues such as how to strengthen civil society resilience to terrorism and whether ISIL affiliates in Africa represented a threat outside their current area of operation.
H.E. Ms. Trine Heimerback, Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations and Chair of the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, concluded the joint open briefing by reminding participants that Member States’ implementation of “1267 sanctions measures” was critical in preventing terrorism and countering ISIL-affiliated groups on the continent.
The concept note for the joint open briefing is available here.
The agenda for the joint open briefing is available here.
Photographs are accessible here.
The full broadcast is available here.
Remarks and presentations of participants:
Session I: Overview of the evolution of the threat posed by ISIL in Africa
• Presentation by Mr. Edmund Fitton-Brown, Coordinator of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team pursuant to resolutions 1526 (2004) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities
• Presentation by H.E. Martin Kimani, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations
• Presentation by Ms. Chania Lackey, Global Center on Cooperative Security
• Online presentation by Mr. Martin Ewi, Institute for Security Studies
Session II: Overview of responses, progress achieved, and challenges
• Presentation by Mr. Weixiong Chen, Acting Executive Director, CTED
• Presentation by Ms. Kelly Low, Chief of CTED’s Africa Section, on the outcomes of two 2021 civil society round tables examining the trajectory of ISIL affiliates in the African context
• Presentation by Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa, Coordinator of the Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Advisor, Nigeria
• Closing remarks by H.E. Ms. Trine Heimerback, Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations and Chair of the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.