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ISN Blog
Jacob Wirtschafter and Karim John Gadiaga, USA Today: Africa becomes the new battleground for ISIS and al-Qaeda as they lose ground in Mideast
CAIRO — A massive blast in Somalia's capital of Mogadishu on Oct. 14 and more recent terror attacks in Somalia, Niger and Egypt highlight Africa as a new battleground against al-Qaeda and the Islamic State as they are being driven out of the Middle East.
The Islamic State, or ISIS, is seeking a safe harbor after major losses in Iraq and Syria. And al-Qaeda looks to secure its future by expanding operations and alliances in the sub-Saharan region, analysts say.
“The collapse of the Islamic State’s stronghold in Raqqa (Syria) will cause a re-coalescence of fighters on the continent, most of whom come from North African countries,” said Ali Bakr, an analyst specializing in terrorism at Future Advanced Research, a think tank in Abu Dhabi.
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WNU Editor: North Africa is perfect for ISIS and Al Qaeda. A predominantly Muslim population. Wide spread poverty. Distrust of regional governments. Massive territories that are difficult to monitor. Yup .... Africa is perfect for these groups.
