Troops from Burkina Faso patrol the Sahel area. (Photo by Reuters)
A new report from the Pentagon has shown that militant attacks increased 300 percent in Africa over the past decade.
The September report from the Pentagon’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies showed that the west Sahel region and Somalia were the militancy hot spots where most of the attacks had been carried out.
The report added that roughly 95 percent of the increase in militant attacks was perpetrated by extremist groups affiliated to Daesh and al-Qaeda militants, such as al-Shabab.
“The record 2,221 violent events reported are a 45-percent increase from the 3-year average from 2018-2020,” the report said.
The report comes months into ongoing US operations against militancy in the regions.
Washington's expanding military foothold in Africa
Washington's expanding military foothold in Africa
The United States military established its Africa Command 13 years ago to expand America’s military footprint on the continent.
In this regard, Pentagon’s African Command or AFRICOM, whose area of responsibility covers all of Africa except Egypt, describes the duties of the force as promoting regional security, stability and prosperity, while assisting to strengthen security forces of allied nations. But it also admits AFRICOM will work to advance US national interests on the continent.
Former US president Donald Trump had ordered the military to pull out all its troops from Africa. However, the incumbent ordered the US military to maintain a permanent presence in Africa. Last year, US President Joe Biden authorized the deployment of hundreds of American troops to "reestablish a small, persistent US military presence".
According to the report, the incidents in the region which involved militants had decreased by 23 percent over the past year. The report pointed out that “virtually all 222 violent events and 313 fatalities reported in North Africa” occurred in Egypt and were linked to the Daesh militant outfit in the Sinai Province, marking a 50 percent decline over the past 3 years.
“There has been progress in the fight against militant Islamist groups in Africa, though,” the report said. It underscored the great variance across regions, noting that violence in the Lake Chad Basin and North Africa had "declined by 33 percent and 23 percent, respectively, over the last year.”
The report also cited a moderate increase in militant-related violence in Mozambique, compared to a reported spike between 2018 and 2020.
Last year, a senior United States military commander warned of what he termed as wildfire of terrorism sweeping across Africa at the conclusion of massive US-led war games in the continent.
US Military Destabilizing Africa A senior United States military commander recently warned of what he termed as wildfire of terrorism sweeping across Africa at the conclusion of massive US-led war games in the continent.
Political analysts say that from once having no strategic military interest in the continent; within just over a decade, the US now has some 30 military bases scattered across Africa.
In the meantime, French military forces continue to operate in the Sahel region.
Africa’s Sahel abandons hope in France, starts negotiation with armed groups
Africa’s Sahel abandons hope in France, starts negotiation with armed groups
Leaders of countries in the West Africa’s Sahel region have abandoned their hopes in purported counter-terrorism efforts by France and started negotiating with armed militants to bring peace to the restive region.
France's Operation Barkhan, launched in 2014 to purportedly quell a militant uprising in the region, is ongoing.
Last year, France boosted its troop numbers for its operation Barkhane in the Sahel by 600, involving over 5,000 soldiers at its peak.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/10/23/691431/US-Military-Militancy-Increase-Africa-AFRICOM-
The United States' president has unleashed a xenophobic attack on Somali immigrants, labeling them "garbage." Donald Trump told reporters they should "go back to where they came from."
The remarks came as US immigration authorities prepare for an enforcement operation targeting Minnesota's Somali community, one of the largest in the country.
....more below
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/12/04/760037/RACISM-AND-XENOPHOBIA-IN-THE-U-S-
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has kicked off a large-scale exercise in the Persian Gulf, showing advanced defensive and offensive capabilities enhanced by artificial intelligence.
The IRGC Navy began the exercise on Thursday, emphasizing enhanced intelligence readiness and demonstrating the unwavering spirit and resistance of its sailors to confront any threat.
During the exercise, naval units conveyed their firm message by issuing warnings to American ships present in the region.
Advanced air defense systems including Nawab, Majid, and Misagh were also deployed in electronic warfare conditions. Using artificial intelligence, these systems were able to identify flying and naval targets in a fraction of the time and hit them with high accuracy.
The exercise, codenamed Shahid Mohammad Nazeri, takes place across the Persian Gulf, the Nazeat maritime zone – Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Siri islands, the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the Sea of Oman.....more...
While trafficking young girls, he was also part of an effort to export military-grade systems to governments around the world
Rachel Marsden
By Rachel Marsden, a columnist, political strategist, and host of independently produced talk-shows in French and English.
rachelmarsden.com
When I first moved to New York, I walked into my new dentist’s office and genuinely wondered whether I’d accidentally wandered into a Victoria’s Secret audition.
The waiting room was full of stunning young women. Eventually I learned the dentist shared space with a modeling agency. You couldn’t tell who was getting veneers and who was getting a contract until you were halfway down the hallway.
Jeffrey Epstein’s life operated on the same architectural principle: two businesses shoved into one building, one involving underaged girls, the other involving powerful political figures, including some tied to the Israeli government. Not exactly whitening trays and catwalks, but equally disorienting.
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