Rabat refuerza su papel en la lucha contra el terrorismo
The year 2022 in the Sahara and Sahel regions of Africa has witnessed new highs in terrorist activities committed by jihadist groups. According to international observers, the coups d'état perpetrated in recent months in Mali, Guinea, Chad, Sudan and Burkina Faso have only exacerbated the already convulsive situation in the territory, especially in places such as northern Nigeria and the Libyan border with Chad. And, in this scenario, terrorist movements have begun to strengthen their attacks against local and international forces and organisations, as in the case of the envoys for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Now, following recent declarations by the French Elysée on the end of Operation Barkhane and Task Force Takuba in the Republic of Mali, the international community fears that the country could become the new "African Afghanistan".
More moderate voices, such as the expert in geostrategic and security studies, Al-Sharqawi Al-Roudani, for Al Arab News, have stated that the departure of France and its Western partners from Malian territory will have a strong impact on the stability of the entire region, given that the presence of French special forces on the ground has so far served as a brake on the advance of terrorist groups. Especially in the border areas of Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Mali.
"We are facing a terrorist development and an increase in insecurity that could have an impact on the Maghreb countries," warned Al-Roudani. Therefore, as West Africa and the Sahel region represent two "areas of great strategic importance for the Kingdom of Morocco, because of their impact on national security", Rabat's role should be fundamental in the fight against terrorism in the territory.
As political analyst and head of the Atlas Centre for the Analysis of Political and Institutional Indicators, Mohamed Bouden, explains, Morocco's work as a committed international actor in the fight against terrorism, and as one of the main partners in international counter-terrorism initiatives, is based on a three-pronged strategy. First, Rabat has adopted security measures underpinned by an early, proactive and vigilant approach, as well as a judicial one, rather than the 'liquidationist' approach of other powers.
Second, the Alawi Kingdom has implemented national religious and social policies aimed at mitigating the risk of the emergence of extremist groups, such as the National Initiative for Human Development, religious reform and the reconciliation programme. Finally, the country is promoting regional and international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and its threats, with the relevant institutions carrying out intelligence, security and organisational work on a daily basis.
According to Al-Roudani, Morocco's fight against terrorism is being conducted in a "holistic", global and comprehensive manner. However, the bulk of the Kingdom's efforts to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism are carried out in relation to human development and the economy - along with the tightening of criminal procedures. "Morocco is the first country to invest in West African powers, and these multilateral and bilateral business ties can contribute to stability in these regions through stabilisation and development," the expert said.
Rabat has also intensified its collaboration with other powers and international institutions (such as Interpol and Europol), and continues to move forward with "a surveillance system that anticipates the risks and threats" arising from terrorism, according to Bouden. For several years now, the country has been cooperating in efforts to dismantle terrorist cells outside its borders. On this basis, the signing of the establishment of the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Office in Africa in Rabat in October 2020 was a sign of the international community's recognition of Morocco's strategy and efforts.
In the same vein, the country has recently implemented the "African Lion" operation, which aims to provide training in many operational fields, such as counter-terrorism operations. It has also established a military zone on the border with Algeria to - in addition to monitoring military manoeuvres in Algiers - "curb incursions by terrorist groups or drug gangs" into the territory. This was made public by sources in the daily Al Arab News.
"The Kingdom has a long-term commitment to prevent and confront terrorism, and significantly improve its arsenal to combat it, especially in light of the current threat environment and new patterns of extremism and terrorism," Bouden said.
Since 2002, the Alawite police have dismantled more than 2,000 terrorist cells. This work has intensified in recent months, with several reports from Rabat on the dismantling of radical groups. An example of this took place in October, when the Moroccan authorities discovered a Jihadist cell in Tangiers made up of five young people and linked to Daesh.
However, this did not prevent the country from having to deal with serious attacks, such as those carried out in Casablanca in 2003 and the attack in Marrakech in 2011. The last of these occurred less than a month ago, when a 78-year-old French woman, a resident of Tiznit, was stabbed to death in the city's market. The first terrorist attack since more than a year ago, in October 2020.
The presence of these extremist groups in the Sahel and the Maghreb has grown progressively stronger in recent years, largely driven by the growth of groupings such as the Islamist and Muslim Support Front, Boko Haram or the Al-Qaeda group in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). And, similarly, the emergence of EIGS (Islamic State of the Greater Sahara) and ISWAP (Islamic State in the West African Province of Nigeria) in 2013 and 2016, respectively.
Following the departure of French troops from Malian territory, and fearing that instability and insurgencies - caused by corruption and the inability to stop jihadists - could produce a 'contagion effect', Niger and other Gulf of Guinea countries are expected to become the new strongholds of the European military presence in the Sahel, in line with Macron's military commitment to continue the fight against terrorism.