Warnings of the escalation of terrorism in Mali after the withdrawal of European forces

Ahmed Shaaban (Cairo)

Experts in African affairs and international terrorism have warned of the growth and escalation of terrorist operations in Mali, after the departure of the European Union military mission after 11 years, which has been present since 2013 to train the armed forces to confront extremist groups, such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Extremists in Mali were able to achieve gains, despite the military efforts of foreign forces to repel them. The terrorist attacks resulted in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of millions. The attacks included towns, villages, and military targets throughout the country.
Mounir Adeeb, a researcher in the affairs of extremist movements and international terrorism, stated that the withdrawal of the international forces of the European Union mission from some African capitals, including Mali, comes in the context of the continent being affected by several factors, including military coups in some countries, which led to the withdrawal of American and French forces, which… It greatly increases the chances of terrorism growing.
Adeeb said, in a statement to Al-Ittihad, that the survival of international forces in African capitals was dependent on confronting violent and extremist groups, and supporting local forces to confront cross-border terrorist organizations, but at the same time they were plundering the wealth of these countries, and therefore some coups occurred to liberate themselves from… This is new colonialism.
Adeeb warned of the deteriorating security situation in Mali and other countries in Africa, especially in the Sahel and western regions of the continent, noting that Mali is a poor and politically unstable country. Therefore, the “Support for Islam and Muslims” organization, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, finds a great opportunity to carry out terrorist operations there, in light of this situation.
The authorities in Mali announced the killing of a prominent ISIS leader called Abu Hudhayfah in a military operation carried out by security forces in early May 2024. Abu Hudhayfah participated in an attack in 2017, which led to the deaths of 4 Americans and 4 Nigerians. Washington offered a reward of $5 million to anyone who provides information. About his whereabouts.
For his part, the former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice President of the Egyptian-African Council, Ambassador Dr. Salah Halima, believes that there is coordination and consultation between Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, to liquidate the Western presence in each of them, and therefore the withdrawal of European Union forces comes within the framework of participation between The three countries reject the presence of international forces.
Security vacuum
Ambassador Salah Halima explained to Al-Ittihad that there is now a trend in Senegal to push towards the withdrawal of French forces, and the same is the case in Chad, stressing that the withdrawal of European Union forces from Mali and some other African countries comes in this context, and these developments push towards a new type. From the alliance between the “Sahel” countries.
Halima warned of the security vacuum in Mali as a result of the withdrawal of international forces, which provides terrorist organizations with an opportunity to become active and increase their operations.