Canadian diplomat says terrorist threats in West Africa continue to evolve since being captured – state
A Canadian diplomat was captured by al-Qaeda terrorists in the Sahara desert for 130 days said Canada's pledged commitment to promote national defense should include a commitment to combat the growing threat of Islamic terrorism to Africa – the threat he said did not attract attention.
Robert Fowler said groups that have roots in the Sahel region of West Africa (particularly Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali) will require “a large amount of effort to eliminate”, and U.S. military officials say efforts are being made to enter the West Coast, which will increase their ability to attack North America.
“We have nothing to say to stop those people from doing what they are doing,” he told Mercedes Stephenson in an interview Sunday. Western District.
“They are deeply, absolutely committed, obviously ready to die in this commitment. Therefore, eliminating them will take a very tremendous effort because they won't convince them not to do so.”
Fowler is Canada's longest-serving UN ambassador and adviser to three former prime ministers. In December 2008, militants were captured along with militants in the Islamic Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group, which was also a special event specially detached by the United Nations to Niger.
Next April, he was released along with other Western prisoners.
Since then, the presence of AQIM and other Islamic militant groups in the Sahel region has only been evolving, attacking civilians on claimed widespread territory.
Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali are currently ruled by military governments, who have taken over through coups in the past two years, and Islam has different influences.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Incident Data Project, about 5,000 civilians were killed in violence in the first five months of the year, an increase of 25% from the previous five months.
Experts like Fowler said that in recent months, French and American troops from the region have been lost from the region in recent months.
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US African Commander Michael Langley told reporters last week that the U.S. military evacuated from Niger, where it was a key counter-terrorism basis last September, which means we “lose our ability to closely monitor these terrorist groups” as violent attacks in the Sahel continue to rise in “frequency and complexity.”
He added that U.S. troops are “with local troops” in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Benin to prevent these groups from reaching the coast.
“If they ensure access to the shoreline, they can fund their business through smuggling, human trafficking and arms trading,” Langley said in a media briefing.
“This not only puts African countries at risk, but also increases the chances of threatening to reach the U.S. coast.”
Fowler said Canada also faces this risk, especially the threat of personal violence in the name of groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS.
“I think it's possible to say Islamic terrorism has not been beaten up yet,” he said.
“No matter what success we have in Iraq and our unsuccess in Afghanistan, we have not weakened the jihad movement in any way, so we will have to be very alert.”
He added that Western governments are not prepared to undertake the investment and military capabilities necessary to eliminate the threat in Africa.
“Whatever they should do, they won't be for a variety of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with Africa,” he said. “There are other issues and other issues that everyone needs money to spend, and that's not much for Africa.
“For years, the French had 5,000 top soldiers there, and they couldn't do it. It took more time. But no, I don't think we're willing to do it.”
Canada's new Africa strategy was released in March, with over $30 million investing in the “peace and security” projects in the Sahel and other conflict-affected regions such as Sudan, but focused primarily on humanitarian aid and civilian support.
Canadian forces ended their peacekeeping mission in Mali in 2023, which would have greatly reduced its presence on the African continent.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is committed to strengthening border security and has established screening for increased entry points based on commitments under the previous Liberal government and combating illegal transit and smuggling.
Fowler said the African threat should further inspire the Canadian government to spend “more” on defense, which he said has been pitiful for years.
Carney vowed to bring Canada's defense spending to a target of 2% of GDP by 2030, while liberal platforms promised $30 million in new spending over the next four years. Last year, the government spent more than 1.3%.
“We don't have to think about President Trump's good things, but that doesn't mean he's not wrong when he criticizes our defense performance,” Fowler said.
“He’s right: we’ve been given years of free riding, especially in mainland defense.”
Although he would not recommend the concept of space missile defense that Canada signed to Trump's “golden dome”, Fowler said it is “illogical” that Canada does not belong to the current U.S. ballistic missile defense program and similar programs.
“We have to convince Americans that they are doing some of our sovereignty and are committed to continuing to do that, because I think Canadians deserve this defense of their territory,” he said.
When asked about the advice he would give Carney, Fowler simply said: “Register.”
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