The American Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, underlined, this Monday, September 30 in Washington, the importance of the think tank of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Africa, co-chaired by Morocco, the United States, Italy and Saudi Arabia, in the fight against terrorism on the African continent.
Speaking at the opening of the 11th ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS), held at the State Department in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans residing abroad, Nasser Bourita, the head of American diplomacy, noted that the terrorist group Daesh is increasing its efforts aimed at expanding its operations outside the Middle East, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
“To confront this growing threat, the United States, Morocco and Italy formed the Africa Coalition Think Tank in 2021,” Blinken recalled during this meeting attended by delegations from 87 countries, adding that Saudi Arabia joined this Focus Group last year.
In this regard, he highlighted the effectiveness of the operations carried out by the think tank of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Africa.
Efforts by the Africa Focus Group “have already helped our African partners better align and coordinate civilian-led counterterrorism operations” in sub-Saharan Africa.
These efforts are particularly relevant as ISIS works to gain ground in sub-Saharan Africa, “exacerbating the already present threat from existing small groups,” Blinken said.
Three years after its creation, the Africa Focus Group has become an essential component of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh in Africa, as current needs and emerging trends call for further strengthening of this dynamic.
