- Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS is hosting its annual ministerial in Marrakesh
- The United States and Morocco will co-host the meeting
- Johanna Sumuvuori, State Secretary to Finland’s Foreign Minister Haavisto, is attending the coalition meeting
- According to the US Department of State, ISIS-related deaths in West Africa nearly increased from 2,700 to 5,000 between 2017 and 2020.
On May 11, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS is hosting its annual ministerial in Marrakesh, Morocco, to confront the growing threat posed by ISIS in Africa and to continue efforts to tackle the threat in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Before the broader ministerial, coalition members also met in a smaller group known as the Africa Focus Group on May 10 to exclusively collaborate on defeating ISIS in Africa. The United States and Morocco will co-host the meeting. The Coalition’s activities and action against ISIS in Africa, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan will be discussed at the summit.
Johanna Sumuvuori, State Secretary to Finland’s Foreign Minister Haavisto, is attending the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS’s Ministerial Meeting in Marrakesh.
State Secretary Sumuvuori has highlighted Finland’s commitment emphasising that Finland is dedicated to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS’s efforts. Secretary said that campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria has made progress and emphasised on the need to continue the momentum including considering current scenario in Africa and Afghanistan.
“Finland is committed to the work of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS”
ISIS has established a substantial presence in Africa. An 84-member coalition dedicated to combating ISIS on a worldwide scale is aiming to prevent ISIS affiliates from making further progress on the African continent.
The purpose, according to Douglas Hoyt, the State Department’s acting deputy special envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, is to increase and improve the counterterrorism capabilities of the African members of the coalition.
Mr Hoyt said that “The goal is to enhance and improve the counterterrorism capabilities of the African members of the coalition,”
ISIS’ growth into Africa has been described as “alarming” by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. According to the US Department of State, ISIS-related deaths in West Africa nearly increased from 2,700 to 5,000 between 2017 and 2020. ISIS-Mozambique is estimated to have killed around 1,500 people. ISIS funds its operations through extortion, theft, and kidnapping for ransom, all of which pose a threat to the local populace. The extremist group has the highest chance of crossing borders and infiltrating areas where government control is weak.
To address the issue, the coalition established the Africa Focus Group in December, with Morocco and Niger in leadership position along with Italy and the US. Earlier this year, the NATO Stability Policing Centre of Excellence brought together law enforcement from the Middle East and North Africa, including Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, to train on how to process battlefield evidence in terrorism cases.
The United States announced the establishment of a wide international coalition to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria on September 10, 2014. (ISIS). This included giving military support to coalition allies, halting the flow of foreign recruits, cutting finance and sponsorship, resolving regional humanitarian concerns, and revealing ISIS’ actual nature.
Staff Galactik Views