Fears of the return of terrorism and instability to Africa

Abdullah Abu Deif (Cairo)

The United Nations peacekeeping forces collectively decided to withdraw from crisis hotspots in Africa, numbering about 6 missions, which increases fears of destabilizing security after years of attempts to calm down, work on stability, and confront terrorist groups, especially in countries such as Niger, Congo, Mali, and Somalia.
The number of peacekeeping forces reached about 86 thousand soldiers, army, police and civilians, led by the MONUSCO and MINUSMA missions, which are among the largest and most expensive missions. They decided to withdraw in 2023 after years in which the United Nations mission “MONUSCO” was concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and “MINUSMA” in Mali. And the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia “ATMIS”.
The researcher on African affairs, Anwar Ibrahim, stressed that the exit of UN missions from African countries may have many effects on the spread of armed and terrorist groups, especially in areas where local armed forces are weak, adding that UN missions had a major role in the stability of those countries, but the demands of exit It came from parties with interests in alienating UN missions.
Ibrahim believes, according to his statement to Al-Ittihad, that whatever the differences and negativity of the presence of some UN forces in some areas, the contradictions, and the breakthroughs some of them have made, their presence has a major role in preserving the stability of areas that have witnessed conflicts for periods in light of the failure of their governments.
While the researcher on African affairs, Muhammad Turshin, indicated that the impact will certainly occur, but it is limited in the old conflict areas that worked to rearrange the house from the inside before agreeing on the departure of international security missions from them during the past months, pointing out that some countries are already receiving support. Regional from some countries that help them control security. Turshin added, in a statement to Al-Ittihad, that these countries have suffered for many years from terrorism, extremist groups, and violence that have claimed the lives of thousands, noting that these countries are working through various transitional stages that help calm and develop, reduce unemployment rates, and reduce ethnic conflicts.