The military, one of the top analysts of the African region, warns of the escalation of jihadism and the increase of its “danger”
The war in Ukraine has taken one of the most dangerous places on earth out of the picture and also located at the gates of Europe: the Sahel. This gigantic strip of desert that crosses Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea is becoming one of the most looming threats to the Old Continent. According to army colonel Pedro Sánchez Herráez, who gave a conference last Thursday in La Sociedad Bilbaína and is a great expert in the region, that area is one of the main axes of the advance of Islamist terrorism.
– What is the current situation in the Sahel?
– Jihadism is increasing and becoming more dangerous. In vulgar terms, we could say that the perfect storm is happening. It should not be forgotten that the establishment of a caliphate, as the Islamic State did in Syria, is a source of problems. In such poor states, many people face the dilemma of emigrating or joining this type of group. They are also areas where masses of illegal emigration, controlled by organized crime, are moving.
– You claim that this situation has a strong historical component.
– It is an area where historically there has been a strong trade since ancient times. They used to be slaves and now they are emigrants. And from there came the Almohads and Almoravids, who occupied parts of Spain in the Middle Ages. At the moment we have this urge for jihadism and the use of powerful groups of drug traffickers. The region is home to the largest drug laboratories currently under construction in the world. There a veritable empire of evil is being created.
– However, it does not appear on the axis of political concerns.
– In Spain, there are several ‘think tanks’ that have been explaining for more than ten years the evolution of this area and the dangers it poses. It is clear that in Europe there are countries such as ours, France or Italy that are concerned about this region, and also others such as Poland or the Scandinavian countries that are further away and that also have other problems, as the invasion now shows from Ukraine. And the money that can be allocated to each of the resources is what it is.
– What is difficult to understand is that even the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria has not eroded the organizational capacity of jihadism.
– The caliphate has been destroyed by a coalition of countries in which, let’s not forget, Russia was a major player. After the Islamic State fighters in Syria were eliminated, the jihadist narrative took refuge in the Sahel zone. Then there was the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and that changed everything. The message that all jihadists have received is that if we resist, we will defeat the crusaders.
– Are the echoes of the United States’ departure from Afghanistan still active?
– The ideology launched in Kabul now has its epicenter in the Sahel. Not only are there large jihadist groups, but they also have the financing of organized crime. And as Napoleon said, to make something work you only need three things: money, money and money.
– Describes a rather dark photo. How should the West fight that battle?
– A lot of effort is being made and from the EU, for example, there are many bilateral agreements to support some very poor countries that lack even the slightest infrastructure. But we are also dealing with very complex situations where, although the amounts involved are considerable, there are local specificities that affect the whole aid package. There is a pretty clear example. We send coronavirus vaccines to countries where there isn’t enough cold chain to store them. And it is difficult to deal with the anti-Western narrative without the help of local elements.
– There is currently speculation about the possibility that weapons are destined for the war in Ukraine end up in the Sahel.
– Since the disappearance of Gaddafi’s Libya, all arsenals in that country have been sold to the highest bidder, so it seems that there is no great need to call on other actors. Many outlets are active and buying light weapons, which are the most dangerous, is quite easy. If there is more demand for guns, it is only necessary to sell more drugs to pay for them.
– Although this problem affects Europe, the closest countries are Algeria or Morocco.
They are very concerned. Algeria is the largest country in Africa and its borders are gigantic, but no more than stripes in the sand. In the Maghreb, these countries also feel threatened by jihadism and especially by this growing storm. You have to bear in mind that at certain times radicalization is easier to achieve than moderation.
Source: La Verdad
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