Morocco's Frontline Battle Against ISIS' African Resurgence

Friday 08 March 2024 - 09:12

As the Islamic State's grip on its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria wanes, a sinister new front is emerging: the vast expanses of Africa. According to a report from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the terrorist group's African affiliates are gaining alarming strength, seizing control of towns and villages across Mali, Somalia, and Mozambique.

In this burgeoning battlefield, Morocco finds itself at the vanguard, confronting a growing threat as an increasing number of its citizens are being lured into the ranks of ISIS as foreign fighters. This ominous development not only threatens to further destabilize the already volatile Sahel region but also raises the specter of potential external operations against the West.

Moroccan authorities have responded with a relentless crackdown, disrupting numerous jihadist cells seeking to dispatch fighters to the Islamic State's self-proclaimed "Sahel Province" in Mali. From the bustling streets of Casablanca to the rugged terrain of the Sahara, a series of counterterrorism operations have unfolded, some conducted in close cooperation with Spanish forces.

But the flow of Moroccan fighters is not confined to the Sahel alone. In the remote mountainous regions of Somalia's Puntland, Moroccan operatives have been captured alongside local ISIS members, while a high-ranking Moroccan operative was apprehended in the town of Ufeyn, accompanied by a Syrian cohort.

While the influx of foreign fighters into Africa pales in comparison to the mobilization witnessed in Syria a decade ago, experts caution that even small numbers can have devastating consequences, serving as potential catalysts for external terrorist operations in Western nations.

The Islamic State's territorial gains in Africa are particularly concerning given the group's shifting focus towards external operations. As attack planning transitions from Syria to Afghanistan, ISIS branches like those in Somalia are playing an increasingly vital role in financing the organization's global ambitions, creating a perilous nexus between local insurgencies and international terrorism.

In Mozambique, the Islamic State's local branch is regaining strength after temporarily losing ground to counterterrorism campaigns led by Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM). With SAMIM set to withdraw in July, ISIS-Mozambique has seized towns in the Cabo Delgado province and pushed southward into the Chiure district, threatening not only regional stability but also critical energy projects.

As the Islamic State's African affiliates gain strength, Morocco finds itself at the forefront of a battle to prevent the terrorist group from using the continent as a launchpad for global terror. The kingdom's relentless counterterrorism operations serve as a model for the region, but the fight is far from over. With each passing month, the stakes grow higher, and the need for concerted action becomes ever more urgent.