Sir: Africa region has been experiencing significant rise in cases of terrorism since 2013. The region has the highest number of classified terror groups in the world, including Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, armed groups in Algeria, Boko Haram in Nigeria, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Shabaab of Somalia, Ansar ul-Islam and Ansar, among others.
According to “Terrorism in Africa: A Qualitative Analysis” written by Adriana Linsde Albuquerque, 218 known organizations have perpetrated terrorist acts in Africa. But, only a handful of groups are behind most of the major incidents. Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, the two most notorious terrorist groups based in Nigeria and Somalia were responsible for nearly 50 percent of attacks in Africa.
In West Africa, Boko Haram, the Nigeria version of Al-Qaeda, which means “Western Education is a sin”, came into existence since year 2002. In 2009, it metamorphosed into a violent sect to create an Islamic State in northern Nigeria. Thereafter, in 2015, the sect pledged allegiance to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). It has since extended its operations to the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic.
From record, Boko Haram has massacred over 100,000 people, both civilians and military personnel in Nigeria, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed millions Naira property through suicide bombings and assaults on civilians, as well as kidnapping of over 276 school girls and thousands of other. Boko Haram and a splinter group known as Ansaru, had carried out series of kidnapping, killings, bombings, and attacks on and military targets. The Nigerian states where these attacks occurred most frequently are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On July 6, 2013, over 50 students were murdered in their dormitories at Mamudo Government Secondary School in Yobe State. 44 persons praying at a Mosque outside Maiduguri and another 12 civilians nearby in Borno were simultaneously killed. The group also killed more than 40 students in the dormitory of an agricultural technical school in Yobe State. 24 people massacred in a coordinated and complex attack on the Maiduguri Airport and the Air Force base, wounded dozens, and destroyed a large numbers of military equipment including several military helicopters.
According to U. N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the activities of Boko Haram has forced more than 2,000 schools to close and disrupted the education of more than a million children. Records show that Boko Haram alone has carried out over 180 attacks in Nigeria making the sect the most deadly terrorist group not only in Africa but globally. Through activities of the group, the economy of northern Nigeria, has been devastated, as the anti terrorism fight has gulped much of the scarce resources available for development in the North eastern states.
The near equivalent of Boko Haram in East Africa, Al-Shabaab which means “the youth “ in Arabic .The group, based in Somalia operates simultaneously in Ethiopia and Kenya. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Al-Shabaab has about 18,000 fatalities attributed to it alone. Al-Shabaab has carried out two major attacks on Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall in 2013 where at least 65 people died. Most Westgate attack victims were citizens of Kenya, United Kingdom, India, Canada and France, Australia, China, Ghana, Netherlands, Peru, South Africa, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago.
In Somali City of Mogadishu, Al-Shabbab terror group killed 588 people mostly civilians outside the Safari Hotel and also massacred 77 people at the City of Afurur near a Somalia National Army (SNA) base in Af-urur, Bari, Somalia. In January, 2019, a deadly terrorist attack claimed by Al-Shabaab shook Nairobi, Kenya where 21 civilians in a hotel and office complex of the victims were involved, 16 were Kenyan, one American, and three were of African descent. In that attack, 30 victims were also injured. Boko Haram and Al-Shabbab terrorism acts are barbaric, inhumane, cowardly and anti-progressive.
Whatever motives or reasons of the terrorists – Al-Qaeda, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and other terror groups in Africa and across the globe are unacceptable. The terrorist groups are only using religion as cover to perpetuate devilish killing of fellow human beings. The whole world must pool resources, knowledge and technology to terminate this evil now, otherwise no part of the globe would be safe, and in a few years, Africa will be a burden to the world, which is absolutely unacceptable.
- Agunloye Adewunmi Bashiru bagunloye@gmail.com.
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