The National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), has named three groups supporting terrorist organisations in the Sahel region.
Monguno identified the groups as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (GSIM), and Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS).
He made the disclosure on Tuesday in a speech delivered at the 14th Workshop of the League of Ulamas, Preachers and Imams of Sahel countries in Abuja.
He said: “Terrorism and the rapid escalation of violent activities by militant Islamist groups in the Sahel since 2016 have been primarily driven by the Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS), which mainly operates in Mali and extends to the Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.
“It is bolstered by activities of groups such as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (GSIM), and ISGS, which have continued to pose an imminent threat to the stability of the region.
“In Nigeria, Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) dominate terrorist activities, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.”
According to the NSA, the situation in the Sahel has never been grimmer as extremist violence continues to spread with the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) rising and increasing rate of food insecurity.
He said there is a need to reassess and reset foreign and regional government strategies towards the Sahel and set aside faulty assumptions.
The NSA noted further that the adoption of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches by LCBC countries to stem the conflict and has yielded tremendous success.
“Thus, it is assessed that while the groups maintain the long-term strategic goal of creating a caliphate, the efforts of LCBC countries will continue to frustrate that goal.
“In that regard, it is imperative that Ulamas, preachers, and community leaders in your localities key into support efforts of our security forces, in order to end this menace.
“Just as collaborations between governments are boosting the advance of security forces in the fight against terrorism, alliances and group efforts like LOPIS should be the backbone to rebuilding our terrorism-infested communities. There’s no gun more powerful than enlightenment and education at the grassroots level,” he said.
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