An Italian security report said that sub-Saharan Africa has become a new center of gravity for the steadfastness of the Islamic State of the Caliphate (ISIS) and al-Qaeda, according to the Italian news agency AKI.
With the decline in the role and activities of the two extremist organizations in their central strongholds, the Italian report on information security policy for 2022, which was edited by the Intelligence Department and published on Tuesday, indicated more authorization of branch groups in new countries.
The report highlights the fact that these two main jihadist organizations have shown, so far great flexibility, they have responded to constant pressure from counter-terrorism forces, by reformulating the relations between the leadership at the central level and the affiliated groups, in the direction of gradual decentralization and greater autonomy in decision making to the regional branches.
The Italian agency added that these factors contribute to shifting the operational center of gravity to the peripheral level, and reducing the effects of severe blows to the chain of command.
The two organizations are trying to benefit from ethnic conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, dysfunctional relations between central governments and remote regions, difficult resource management, and climate impacts on the agricultural sector, according to the report.
The security report mentioned that these factors “provide jihadist groups with tools of pressure to arouse the discontent of the local population, and exploit them to create a dangerous separation with institutions.”