Contener el yihadismo en África, el gran objetivo de la cumbre de la Coalición Global contra el Daesh

Morocco has taken another step in strengthening its position as a regional leader. The ministerial summit of the Global Coalition against Daesh terrorism held on Wednesday in the Alawi city of Marrakech, and co-chaired by Washington and Rabat, has given a good account of this. Representatives of the more than 80 countries that form part of the coalition travelled to the North African country, where the work and agreements reached during the day were materialised in a joint communiqué signed by all of them. 

"Ensuring the lasting defeat of Daesh in Iraq and Syria remains the number one priority," said the communiqué, which also emphasised the "need to address the evolving threat of Daesh in Africa". A reality that has begun to be studied in the first three meetings of the 'Africa Focus Group', and which the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, supported: "it is very necessary because the continent has become the main target of terrorism". 

In recent years, jihadist terrorism in the Sahel and West African regions has increased worryingly. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 48% of terrorist deaths in 2021, and in the last 15 years has claimed more than 30,000 lives, Bourita recalled. 

During the meeting, many representatives sat down with the Kingdom's foreign representative to bring positions closer together and address bilateral issues, and many took the opportunity to praise Rabat's role in the fight against terrorism. 

This summit of the Global Coalition "represents a very strong message" against Daesh, said US Under-Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, referring to a meeting that brought together more than 80 delegations - 37 from Europe, 19 from Africa, 13 from Arab countries and 7 from Asia and the Pacific - as well as representatives of the Arab League, the EU, Interpol and NATO.

Stressing that in a few days Morocco will be commemorating the Casablanca terrorist attacks of 2003, Nasser Bourita took the opportunity to praise the improvement of the situation in the country thanks to the anti-terrorist plans implemented: "an effective, multidimensional and holistic strategy to combat terrorism and violent extremism, which has enabled Morocco to dismantle more than 210 terrorist cells since 2002, among other achievements". 

In addition, the Moroccan foreign minister announced that Rabat will invest $119 million in 2022 to assist sub-Saharan African countries in counterterrorism programmes. This assistance will be complemented in Middle Eastern countries, which are also facing the terrorist threat, by the US issuing a "general licence to facilitate private economic investment" in Syrian regions not controlled by the regime and liberated from Daesh forces. This was made public by US representative Victoria Nuland, explaining that this would help in the reconstruction of such communities. 

"We have come together with a shared commitment to ensure the lasting defeat of Daesh in Iraq and Syria, across the African continent and around the world. Our work has ranged from liberating overrun territories, to identifying regions that are breeding grounds for terrorist groups," Nuland said.

For his part, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, after announcing the imminent reopening of the borders of Ceuta and Melilla, reaffirmed his support for Morocco in the fight against terrorism, which threatens the stability of the region. "The epicentre of terrorism and jihadism is currently in Africa and especially in the Sahel", said Albares, later emphasising the cooperation between the two countries. 

Now, and after the negotiations and commitments made during this summit, the Global Coalition against Daesh will have to continue working to put an end to the expansion of a terrorism whose tactics have "evolved significantly". Drones for reconnaissance missions and attacks, or new technologies to obtain financing, are just some of the examples given by Bourita. 

For this reason, the strengthening of cooperation and the incorporation of new powers into the coalition have become key issues in the fight against Daesh terrorism. During this summit, the African country of Benin announced its annexation to the group, following in the footsteps of Central African Republic, Congo, Mauritania and Yemen, which joined in 2021. 

"Sometimes we look for observers, partners who don't necessarily have to join the coalition, but who are key players," explained Dexter Ingram, acting director of the State Department's Office of the Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh. "This is the case with Mozambique, which last year was among the top 10 countries to suffer terrorist attacks globally. And even though they are not part of the coalition, we want to make sure that we are in touch with them, that they have a seat at this table to address the situation in Africa."