UN chief warns of Islamic State expansion

Vladimir Voronkov, head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT), has issued a stark warning about the growing influence of the Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates across Africa.

Speaking to the Security Council last week, Voronkov highlighted how the jihadist group’s activities have increased across a wide swathe of Africa – from Mali to northern Nigeria.

According to the UN official, ISIS and its affiliates have recovered in several regions – including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan – and he also expressed concern that the terrorist group could soon come to effectively control significant areas of Africa. He said that the Islamic State and its affiliates have demonstrated their resilience and adaptability and appear to be growing in many places despite extensive counter-terrorism efforts.

Mozambique, Somalia and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have also seen a marked increase in terrorist attacks, not least against civilian targets – while the rise of the Islamic State and its recruitment in Afghanistan are also said to be contributing to an increased threat of terrorist attacks against European targets.

“Multilateral Responses”

Voronkov says ISIS has been very good at exploiting instability in the Middle East to expand its influence across the African continent, and argues that international cooperation is needed to destroy the group.

– To eradicate the terrorist threat, we need inclusive, multilateral responses that are firmly grounded on political strategies, compliant with international law and informed by all-of-society and all-of-government approaches.

ISIS has also been identified as the terrorist group that poses the greatest threat to Europe, with the attack on a concert hall in Moscow in early March, which killed 140 people and injured more than 500, highlighted as an example of its attacks.