These unstable regions attract an increasing number of foreign terrorists, “who are looking for new fighting fronts” after withdrawing from Syria and Iraq. From Africa, using digital platforms, they disseminate their propaganda in many languages to young Europeans.
Sahel, especially Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, is home to the Islamic and Muslims support group associated with Al-Qaeda (Jnim) and for the Islamic State of Sahel (ISP). These groups extend their influence there and now threaten the countries located on the Guinea Bay, including Togo, Benin, Ghana and the Coast of the ivory. In 2024, the Sahel region was responsible for 51 percent. deaths related to terrorism in the world compared to 48 percent. in 2023
The province of Western Africa of the Islamic State (ISWAP), however, operates in the areas of the Chad Lake in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.
In East Africa, ASZ-SZABAB, associated with Al-Qaeda, terrorizes Somalia, and in Puntland, trying to disconnect her influence from it, strengthens Islamic State (ISIS). Further south, in the province of Mozambique, Cabo Delgado, ISIS conducts terrorist attacks aimed mainly in Christians. He does this as part of the campaign announced last year “Kill them, wherever you find them”.
Europol warned that European countries have already become the goal of trainees in Africa and the Middle East, in which 58 terrorist attacks were recorded in 2024, including 24 jihadists were attributed. Five people were killed and 18 were injured. At that time, 289 jihadists were arrested in the European Union countries. Most attacks were carried out in Italy (20), France (14) and in Germany (6). Most of them were aimed at civilians.
Europol called European countries to strengthen cooperation with African countries in order to predict the risk associated with potential attacks and a possible return of trained terrorists to Europe.
