Experts say to “Sky News Arabia” that the Russian military operation in Ukraine made Europe and Washington neglect the terrorism file, which re-spread strongly in 2022, and continues its threats at the beginning of 2023, with the intensive spread of its organizations in West Africa, and ISIS strikes in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent days.
The Russian-Ukrainian war, which began in February 2022, is creeping into its first year on the impact of a sharp international division that has not occurred since the end of the Cold War, between the fronts of Russia and the West, and the draining of the world’s economies between them.
arena of terrorist operations
It can be said with full mouth that the African continent and Afghanistan, along with Iraq, have become the central operations ground for “ISIS” in the past year, and during the new year, according to the expression of the researcher specializing in terrorism and armed groups, Ahmed Sultan.
He continues, instead of the world and its active international powers, including America, taking advantage of the state of fighting between ISIS and al-Qaeda over influence in some areas such as the sub-Saharan African coast, Washington plunged into the Ukraine war, “as if it deliberately created more global crises, adding to the pain of war.”
The arms market
In that corner, the Russian researcher in the history of international relations, Solonov Plavrev, warns that all arms deals that reached Kyiv fell victim to the arms mafia and were sold to terrorist groups and organizations.
Thus, terrorist groups benefit from Washington’s weapons indirectly to strengthen their branches and arms. This allows America to interfere in the affairs of countries once again, especially Africa, according to Plavrev’s expectation.
The Russian researcher adds that this situation means the continuation of the crisis situation in several countries, especially in the Middle East and Africa regions. This provides a fertile environment for the growth of the operational activity of violent and terrorist organizations.
Indicators and “strategic neglect”
- Increase in the rates of ISIS attacks in Central Africa and Southern Africa, especially Mozambique, by 50 percent in 2022 compared to previous years.
- The percentage of ISIS operations in West Africa increased by 20 percent.
- ISIS has more than one branch in West Africa and another in the Sahel and Sahara region, and in the south the groups that pledged allegiance to ISIS in Mozambique.
- American analysts warn of what is described as “strategic neglect” by the United States and its allies to the threats of the return of ISIS and al-Qaeda.
- France’s military exit from West and Central Africa and Russia’s preoccupation with its war against Ukraine made the arena almost empty for ISIS and the rest of the extremist organizations in the face of African militias and armies.
- With the battles in Ukraine approaching the scenario of a long-term war, Western countries are threatening to face a crisis in the amount of weapons in the stores of NATO countries. This will be reflected in the future on its ability to confront terrorist threats at home and abroad.
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