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Experts on African affairs and international terrorism have warned of the escalation of terrorist operations in Mali after the departure of the European Union military mission.
The mission has been present in Mali since 2013 to train the armed forces to confront extremist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Mounir Adeeb, a researcher on extremist movements and international terrorism, said that the withdrawal of the international forces of the European Union mission from Mali comes in the context of the African continent being affected by several factors, including the military coups that led to the withdrawal of American and French forces, which enhances the chances of terrorism growing.
Adeeb pointed out that the survival of international forces was dependent on confronting violent and extremist groups and supporting local forces, but at the same time they were plundering the wealth of African countries, which led to coups d’etat to liberate themselves from this “new colonialism.”
Adeeb warned of the deteriorating security situation in Mali and other countries in Africa, especially in the Sahel and western regions of the continent, noting that Mali, as a poor and politically unstable country, provides a suitable environment for the “Supporting Islam and Muslims” organization, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, to carry out terrorist operations.
For his part, Ambassador Dr. Salah Halima, former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice President of the Egyptian-African Council, believes that there is coordination between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to liquidate the Western presence, indicating that the withdrawal of European Union forces comes within the framework of the three countries’ participation in rejecting the presence of international forces.
Halima explained that there is also a trend in Senegal and Chad towards removing French forces, which indicates a new type of alliance between the Sahel countries.
Ambassador Halima warned of the security vacuum in Mali as a result of the withdrawal of international forces, which provides terrorist organizations with an opportunity to be active and intensify their operations.
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