Four Deadliest Terrorist Organizations in Africa
Who are Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and Boko Haram deadly terrorist groups in Africa?
Parts of Africa are under constant terrorist attacks and live with the constant threat of terrorism throughout their daily lives. According to Wikipedia list of 2017 terrorist attacks, the four groups responsible for the majority of the terrorist attacks or suspected are Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and Boko Haram.
Al-Shabaab
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| Al-Shabab means The Youth in Arabic is a Salafist jihadist group based in East Africa, mainly Somalia. |
Al-Shabaab
means The Youth in Arabic is a Salafist jihadist group based in East Africa,
mainly Somalia. Al-Shabab has staged numerous attacks in Kenya because it has
sent its troops into Somali territory. In February 2010, the group is allied to
al-Qaeda. Al-Shabaab has carried out more than 360 attacks in Somalia from 2006-2017.
On
January 27, 2017, Al-Shabaab killed at least 57 soldiers in takeover of
peacekeeping base in Kulbiyow, Somalia. In the middle of the day on September
21, 2013, al-Shabaab fighters stormed a busy Nairobi Kenya shopping center,
throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately at shoppers for 4 days resulting
in at least 67 deaths. Al-Shabaab was declared terrorist
group by US on March 18, 2008.
Al-Qaeda
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| Al-Qaeda is the oldest of the Islamist militant groups operating in North Africa |
Al-Qaeda
means The Base in Arabic and is broad-based militant Islamist organization
founded by Osama bin Laden in 1989. The oldest of the Islamist militant groups
operating in North Africa, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) came into
being in 2005 when it changed its name from the Algerian Salafi Group for Call
and Combat (GSPC) and announced its allegiance to Osama Bin Laden. In February
2017, 15 people were killed and 19 injured in Tiloa, Niger in an ambush attack by Al-Qaeda
militants. Al-Qaeda was declared terrorist group by US on October 8, 1999.
Islamic State formerly known as ISIS
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| Soldiers who defeated Islamic State formerly known as ISIS militants show arms captured from combatants. |
February
2017, Islamic State militants in Qandala, Somalia executed three civilians and
three soldiers. In the same month, two Christians were killed by Islamic State
militants. The first was shot dead and the second was abducted and later burned
alive. Islamic State was declared terrorist group by US on December 17, 2004.
Boko Haram
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| Former captive of Boko Haram |
Boko Haram declared
terrorist group by US in 2013. About 11 people were killed
Saturday March 28, 2015 and two more injured in
attacks apparently by Boko Haram in voting stations in the northeastern state
of Gombe Nigeria.
Boko
Haram states its purpose is to institute Sharia, or Islamic law. Women and
girls who were former captives of Boko Haram face marginalization and rejection
by family and community members because of social and cultural norms related to
sexual violence. Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it
"haram", or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or
social activity associated with Western society.
What is a terrorist organization?
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| Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and Boko Haram are the four deadliest terrorist organizations in Africa |
The organization’s terrorist activity or
terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security
(national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United
States.
The organization must engage in terrorist
activity, as defined in section 212 (a)(3)(B) of the INA or terrorism, as
defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal
Years 1988 and 1989 or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist
activity or terrorism.
