The African continent now accounts for almost half of terrorist acts worldwide, with central Sahel suffering about 25 per cent, a senior UN official said on Thursday.
“Daesh [ISIS] and its affiliates are becoming more ingrained in parts of the African continent,” Natalia Gherman, executive director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, told the UN Security Council.
“They are exploiting the political instability and expanding their radius of influence, their operations and territorial control in the Sahel, with growing concerns for coastal West Africa.”
Vladimir Voronkov, UN undersecretary general for counter-terrorism, told council members that the situation in the region has deteriorated and is becoming increasingly complex.
Local ethnic and regional disputes are conflating with the agenda and operations of these groups, Mr Voronkov said.
“Daesh affiliates continued to operate with increasingly more autonomy from the Daesh core,” he said.
“Should this trend of greater autonomy persist, the report alerts to the risk that a vast area of instability may emerge, from Mali to the borders of Nigeria."
Mr Voronkov was referring to the biannual report from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who previously described Africa as the “global epicentre” of terrorism.
The UN report, which was published at the end of January, said that although ISIS and its affiliates continue to face leadership attrition and financial setbacks, they have retained their capacity to conduct attacks and project a threat beyond their areas of operation.
It also indicated that ISIS's resources have continued to decline, with available reserves in the range of $10 million to $25 million, down from $25 million to $50 million in the previous reporting period.
While the group’s main means for financial transactions remain traditional methods such as cash couriers and informal “hawala” transfer systems, an increase in the use of cryptocurrencies has been observed.
Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said the international police organization is working closely with UN counter-terrorism officials on a project to help law enforcement “identify and prevent the exploitation for terrorists purposes of enablers such as encryption services, video distribution tools and new propaganda platforms.”
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
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Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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