WHO IS FUNDING TERRORIST GROUPS IN AFRICA?

How are t*rrorist groups able to finance their activities? That’s the question raised by Nigerian General Christopher Musa after captured Boko Haram fighters were found in possession of hard currency. The level of organisation and logistics required to maintain operations for 15 years is no mean feat - likely beyond the capacities of mere rag-tag militias.

A plausible explanation is external support, and precedent exists to warrant suspicion. The Sahel’s t*rrorism crisis post-2011 can be directly linked to Libya, where insurgents, armed and funded by Western powers to overthrow pan-African icon Muammar Gaddafi, trickled south after the job was done. This turned the Sahel into the world’s new epicentre of t*rrorism, with countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger most affected.

Western support for t*rrorist groups is also documented elsewhere. Leaks concerning the State Department revealed correspondence between Jake Sullivan and his then-boss Hillary Clinton, with one email reading, "AQ [Al Qaeda] is on our side in Syria." The US and the UK also armed and funded Mujahideen in Afghanistan to fight its adversary, the Soviet Union.

Back to Africa, countries like Mali have directly accused France of violating Malian airspace and delivering weapons to armed groups in 2022, and of training t*rrorists in 2021.

Have a watch, and let us know where you think Boko Haram gets its money.