African Countries Mozambique, Nigeria And Niger Have Become A Hotbed Of Islamist Terrorism
By S. Arshad, New Age
Islam
15 January
2021
West and
Southern African countries have become killing fields of ISIS-affiliated
terrorist groups and they are getting stronger by the day. Though they are
active in the region for about a decade, they have bocome more powerful after
getting affiliated to the ISIS after 2014. They have carried out mass killings,
mass abductions and arson. Their target are not only Christians but also sufi
and moderate Muslims who do not approve of their jihadist ideology.
They claim
that they want to establish a shariah based Islamic state or caliphate.
The most
ruthless group in the region is Boko Haram. It is based in Nigeria but also
conducts terrorist attacks in bordering Niger. It opposes elections through
voting, wearing trousers and shirts and secular or modern education. It has
declared the Nigerian state a government of non-believers. It is important to
note that Nigeria has 50-50 population of Muslims and Christians and in 12 of
the 36 states of the country where Muslims are in majority, Shariah law has
been recognised by the federal government.
Nigerian soldiers hold up a
Boko Haram flag that they had seized in the recently retaken town of Damasak,
Nigeria, on March 18, 2015. Emmanuel Braun/Reuters
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The Boko
Haram's main activity is mass abductions for ransom. During the last six years
it has carried out 15 mass abductions. Three mass abductions of school students
were carried out in 2014, 2018 and 2020. In 2014, they abducted 276 school
girls from a science school in Chibok and released them after 'negotiations'
with the government. Still some of the girls were not released and are still
untraced. In 2018, ISWAP (Islamic State of West African Province), a breakaway
group of Boko Haram abducted 110 girls from a school in Dapchi on 19 February.
It released them after a 'deal' with the government in March. But a Christian
girl Leah Sharibu was not released because she did not agree to renounce Christianity.
She is still in their custody as a slave.
In December
2020, the Boko Haram abducted more than 300 students from a boys school. They
were released after a week following a negotian between them and the
government.
It is
obvious that mass abductions are a source of income for Boko Haram. The
government is weak and cannot control or reign in these terrorist
organisations. The army and security forces are ill equipped and have a low
morale. This is the reason, Boko Haram carries out mass abductions so easily.
The government pays ransom to secure the release of hostages. The government
denies this but a report of the UN has revealed that it pays ransom to the
terrorists to secure release of histages.
The report
submitted to the Security Council revealed that the Nigerian goverrnment paid
ransom to secure the release of Dapchi girls. This has emboldened the Boko
Haram to carry out more mass abductions.
The most
unfortunate part of these deals are that even after getting their demands
fulfilled, they don't release all the captives and the government is so
helpless that it can't do anything. Some girls abducted from Chibok are still
in their captivity and are being treated as slaves.
Aparr from
abductions, these terrorist organisations carry out mass killings of Christians
and moderate Muslims opposing their ideology. Since 2009, they have killed more
than 32000 people in Nigeria. In 2020 alone, 11500 Christians have been killed
by Boko Haram. They destroyed and burned churches, houses and schools.
Mozambique
is another African country where the terrorist outfits, mainly Al Shabab is
active against the Majority Christians. In Mozambique, the majority Christian
population is 57% while the Muslims account for 19% of the population. The
Muslims form a majority in Cabo Delgado province. It is in this province that
the terrorists are active. Christians are more aften targetted by them. On
November 10, last year, the militants killed more than 50 Christians. The
insurgency has intensified in this country since 2017. More than 3000 people
have been killed during the last three years. In 2020 alone, they carried out
more than 300 attacks in northern Mozambique. Due to this, hundreds of
thousands of people had to flee the region. 40 people drowned in Ibo river
while fleeing.
Though the
country is rich in gas and minerals, there is a largescale resentment against
the government because the people of the mineral rich region feel that the
benefit of development does not reach them. Poverty and unemployment are used
by the militant outfits to recruit the youth. They promise them that once the
Shariah ruled state is established, their misery and unemployment will be
removed.
Niger
bordering Nigeria also reels under the terrorist violence unleashed by the Boko
Haram and other militant groups affiliated to the ISIS. The country is
predominantly Muslim but the militant organisations want to establish their
version of Shariah there. Hence the violence and killing.
On December
14, 2020 the Boko Haram militants killed 34 Christians in Diffa town.
The rise of
ISIS after 2014 has provided a shot in the arm of the militant organisations in
the African Muslim majoritg countries. These militant outfits that thrived on
human trafficking, drug smuggling and aductions for ranson joined rhe ISIS to
justify their un-Islamic activities. By joining the ISIS they at once became a
part of an international organisation. They are supported by the ISIS whenever
they need it and also they present themselves as flagbearers of Caliphate
movement.
The
hardline and conservative religious teachings in madrasas in these countries
and sermons in mosques by the hardline ulema have also contributed to the
jihadi mindset of Muslims. The majority of clerics of African countries are
educated and trained in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar and therefore have a
conservative and fundamental approach to Islam as compared to the sufi and
moderate outlook of Sufi stream of Islam of Swahili areas.
While Al
Qaida thrived on anti-America rhetoric, the ISIS thrives on Caliphate rhetoric.
Until the myth of caliphate is removed from the Muslim psyche, the terrorist
groups will continue to grow and succeed in their plans.
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S. Arshad is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com
URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/afri-countries-mozambique,-nigeria-niger/d/124080
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