According to the report published by HumAngle, this shift began when ISIS called for migration to Africa, referring to it as the land of migration (hijra) and jihad, following its losses in the Middle East.
The 445th issue of Al-Naba, ISIS’s weekly propaganda newsletter, detailed the group’s activities from May 23 to May 30, noting that 23 of the 37 operations (62%) during that period occurred in Africa. Central Africa saw 14 attacks, West Africa (7), Libya (1), and Mozambique (1).
The report revealed that these attacks, which resulted in 224 victims, highlight ISIS’s increasing plans to exploit the region’s vulnerabilities. It further added that ISIS’s expanding presence in Africa has significant implications for regional and global security as the continent’s vast ungoverned spaces, porous borders, and socio-political challenges provide fertile ground for militant groups.
The report noted that ISIS primarily targets civilians in villages in Central Africa by instilling fear and exerting control by destroying homes. In Mozambique, for example, the report revealed that terrorists have displaced numerous locals, particularly targeting the Christian population as part of the ISIS “Break the Cross” campaign. This campaign is part of the group’s agenda to terrorize Christians and those not ideologically aligned with them.
In West Africa, ISIS operates through its West African Province (ISWAP) in Nigeria and the broader Lake Chad Basin. According to the report, ISWAP’s recent propaganda materials show intensified attacks on military positions and continuous targeting of civilians often using affiliates to carry out their missions and using suicide bombers as a last resort.
