French forces kill al Qaeda’s North Africa chief Algerian Abdelmalek Droukdel, in Mali
Many close associates” of Droukdel – who commanded several affiliate jihadist groups across the lawless region – were also “neutralised”, Defence Minister Florence Parly said, with France24 reporting
The State Department’s most recent Country Reports on Terrorism estimated Al Shabaab’s size at 7,000- 9,000 members, which would appear to make it the largest Islamist armed group in Africa, followed by
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State Dept reports the designation of AQIM as a terrorist group in 2002
| 3/27/2002 | al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) |
Al-Qa’ida’s affiliates in Africa pose continued – if not increased – threats to the continent. They are committed to exploiting the conflicts and permissive security environments to expand their influence and operations. Al-Qa’ida affiliates in Eastern and Southern Africa continue to target troop-contributing countries to African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and to expand their influence across the region. Additionally, Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is under persistent pressure in Algeria but is taking advantage of the situation in Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to maintain and expand its operations. After pledging allegiance to al-Qa’ida in 2017, the AQIM–affiliated group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) will also continue efforts to attack targets, including foreign targets in the Sahel and potentially West Africa. Both AQIM and JNIM are expected to pose increased challenges over the next three-to-five years in countries like Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger. Meanwhile, terrorist groups in Africa, such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, continue to draw inspiration from Al-Qa’ida’s ideology, operations and messaging. The potential for emerging relationships between Al-Qa’ida and Islamic State affiliates in Africa, particularly in the Sahel, could exacerbate instability on the continent and threaten global security SecofState reports.