US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken highlighted on Monday in Washington the importance of the Global Coalition’s Africa Focus Group, co-chaired by Morocco, the United States, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, in combating terrorism on the African continent.
Blinken noted that “ISIS is intensifying efforts to expand its operations beyond the Middle East, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Morocco’s Press Agency (MAP) reported.
The US official, made his comments speaking at the opening of the 11th ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against the terrorist group ISIS, held at the State Department and attended by Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.
“To address this growing threat, the US, Morocco, and Italy established the Africa Focus Group in 2021,” he said.
Blinken underscored the effectiveness of the operations conducted by the Global Coalition’s Africa Focus Group, stating that the “group’s efforts have already helped African partners better align and coordinate counter-terrorism operations across Sub-Saharan Africa.”
“These initiatives are especially relevant as ISIS seeks to gain ground in Africa, exacerbating the existing threat from existing factions,” Blinken remarked.
Three years after its creation, the Group has become an essential component of the Global Coalition’s mission to defeat ISIS in Africa, as current needs and emerging trends call for even greater reinforcement of this dynamic.
The meeting hosted delegations from 87 countries, Blinken added that Saudi Arabia joined this group last year.