By Siva Parameswaran – World News Editor, The African Gazette
The talk of the town is Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.
And, the regime change in Kabul has already sent nations across continents into ‘extra cautious mode’ on security matters.
The reasons for global concerns
The revealing of the new Interim administration in Afghanistan sans any moderate heads-leave alone a woman representative – is a cause for worry globally. The Interim Prime Minister Mullah Mohammed Hassan Akhund is on the UN terror list.
Sirajuddin Haqqani who has been named as the interior minister has sent alarm bells ringing not only in West Asia, but Africa as well.
He is named on the most-wanted list of the FBI and has a five-million-dollar reward on his head.
Taliban takeover in Afghanistan – How is it affecting Africa?
The jihadi elements in Africa, though not directly supported or in touch with the Taliban in Afghanistan may be inspired by their triumph after a hiatus of two decades. Taliban has clearly sent a signal that an ideological war could be won, however big and mighty the nations be.
It is no secret that the Taliban has and will harbour any Jihadi groups or armed groups under their ‘policy of protecting Muslim brethren’. The swift change of the power matrix in Kabul is a cause for worry for nations who are fighting against so called ‘Islamic extremism’. This is more so in Africa where the rise of the Jihadi elements and groups is on the increase steadily.
Bukhari’s worries
President Muhammadu Bukhari of Nigeria was probably the first leader to come out with this concern when he warned that the ‘’war of terror’’ is not over but is shifting to Africa. He voiced his concern in an opinion column for the Financial Times.
‘’The US departure from Afghanistan did not mean the so-called war on terror was winding down; the threat is merely shifting to a new frontline-in Africa’’.
The Nigerian President has a reason to worry.
The rise of the Boko Haram in Nigeria and Sahel region, al-Shabab in Somalia are really causes for concern. The increasing of the Al-Qaeda inspired ideology in various parts of Africa over the past two decades has dealt devasting blows to the safety and security of the peace-loving people and crippling the economies of many countries who had to appropriate their major budgetary provisions to deal with terrorism, rather than with poverty alleviation and economic development.
The failed western experiment in Afghanistan may provide a fillip to the Jihadi elements who claim to fight corruption, political misdemeanour and plundering of natural resources by a coterie. Such a stand by them to take forward their ideological war is a cause for worry.
A classic case would be Mali.
Post-Taliban raising in Afghanistan, the economically and militarily powerful western nations might not want to burn their fingers again by intervening in Africa to wipe out the armed groups and Jihadi elements. They may follow the policy of “it’s up to the Afghans to defend themselves’’.
Writing for the thinktank Brookings, Alexander Marc- Non-resident Senior Fellow-Foreign Policy, Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology has voiced his concern about the security situations in various countries in Africa.
“Despite massive efforts by European nations and the United States — with France and the United Kingdom on the front lines — and with full support from multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the development banks, jihadi insurrections have persisted and are even expanding”.
Lessons from Afghan Fiasco
Ruthless Jihadi groups have been able to stay put in significant pockets of Africa and have been gradually expanding across borders. In the background of the fiasco of the Western nations in Afghanistan, military intervention to root out terror groups from the African soil will be thrice thought of.
Africa is too diverse and too large for a single strategy to be adopted to curb Jihadi elements and ending terrorism. Every second nation in Africa is facing insurgency. Lack of democracy coupled with extremely corrupt leadership has been giving an upper hand to these elements who radicalise people to suit their hard-line Salafist ideology.
Nigeria, Somalia, Mali, Chad, Mozambique, Kenya, Cameroon, Niger, Burkina Faso to name a few are facing continuing attacks from the armed groups.
Security analysts across Africa say that the failed Afghanistan experiment and sudden withdrawal of western forces after a two decades of a lost battle will weaken the efforts of the governments. They are already struggling to deal with insurgency and this will add to the mental makeup of the armed groups.
There are already worries that the military powerful nations like the US, UK and France may withdraw their security forces from Africa following the Afghanistan example.
The total number of foreign troops in Africa is comparatively too large than the multinational forces in Afghanistan.
The Afghan fiasco has taught many lessons and strategies need to change. Understanding local culture and connotations are very important as is working with local institutions and governance mechanisms and the people.
The more important learning from Taliban takeover in Afghanistan and the entire fiasco seems to be – to focus more on development, education, infrastructure, job opportunities and women empowerment.
Bringing in troops along with hi tech equipment and war machinery and staying put flaunting with them, trying to bring in a change is not going to provide the solution.
Africa is not Afghanistan. The world needs Africa for its future.
Siva Parameswaran – World News Editor of the African Gazette, is a senior international journalist with over three decades of experience in all forms of journalism across diverse subjects. He has travelled widely covering war, elections, sports among others. His writings and Radio/TV programmes have been kept as reference materials world wide including Columbia and Cambridge universities. He teaches journalism and trains civil servants on the use of social media.
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