Africa Now World’s Most Active Terrorism Theatre — US House Committee

Africa has emerged as the world’s most active theatre for terrorism, with more than two-thirds of Islamic State (ISIS) activity globally taking place on the continent, a report by the US House Committee on Homeland Security has said.

The committee also revealed that seven of the 10 countries with the highest number of terrorism-related deaths are located in Africa.

It made the disclosure in a report released on Thursday ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

The report, titled: “25th Anniversary Report: National Security Improvements and the Domestic Threat Landscape 25 Years After 9/11/01,” examines developments in US homeland security since the attacks and assesses emerging threats to the country.

The committee, however, expressed concern over what it described as limited US and partner resources in Africa, as well as uneven intelligence coverage across the continent.

“The shift of jihadist activity toward Africa presents a strategic dilemma.

“With over two-thirds of ISIS’s global activity occurring on the continent and seven of the ten countries with the highest deaths linked to terrorism located there, Africa has become the world’s most active terrorism theater. Yet U.S. and partner resources remain limited, and intelligence coverage is uneven,” the report said.

The committee said the changing terrorism landscape had also necessitated a review of the way threats are identified and prioritised.

It pointed to the expansion of the US Foreign Terrorist Organization list to include cartels, criminal networks and extremist groups with different ideological motivations.

The report also highlighted the growing threat posed by individuals acting alone or those inspired by extremist ideologies, saying counterterrorism strategies could no longer focus solely on organised groups.

“The rise of lone actors and inspired attackers requires a shift from organization-centric counterterrorism to behavior-centric prevention,” the committee said.

It further warned that overlapping areas between domestic terrorism, hate crimes and foreign-inspired extremism could complicate efforts to prosecute and prevent such threats.

According to the committee, the growing convergence between terrorism and cyber capabilities also presents a major security challenge, with traditional counterterrorism methods becoming inadequate in addressing the evolving threat.

Beyond terrorism, the committee warned that the United States is facing increasingly sophisticated cyber operations conducted by nation states.

It said cyber threats had evolved beyond attacks carried out by individual hackers for financial gain or notoriety to sustained campaigns backed by governments and organisations with significant intelligence and military capabilities.

“In cyberspace, the United States is no longer confronting only individual hackers seeking money or notoriety,” the report said.

“It now faces sustained campaigns carried out by nation states with the resources, patience, and capabilities of intelligence services and military organizations.”

The committee also noted the rapid expansion in the number of systems, devices, applications and third-party networks that organisations must protect.

It identified artificial intelligence as a technology capable of strengthening cybersecurity by helping defenders analyse large amounts of data, detect unusual activity, identify vulnerabilities, develop defensive code and support the cyber workforce.

However, it cautioned that the same capabilities could also be exploited by malicious actors.

The report also raised concerns over border security, screening and vetting.

It acknowledged improvements in non-intrusive inspection technologies, including backscatter radiation scanners, which have enhanced the ability of authorities to inspect cargo and improve security.

However, the committee warned that the enormous volume of goods entering the United States creates opportunities for dangerous contraband to evade detection.

It said terrorist organisations, transnational criminal organisations, human-smuggling networks and foreign non-state actors were increasingly exploiting commercially available encryption, telecommunications and financial technologies to conceal and coordinate illicit activities.

The committee also noted that improvements in security along the US-Mexico border had led some transnational criminal organisations to redirect activities towards the US-Canada border.

“While the Southwest border has rightly attracted the most attention from policymakers and the public alike over the last several years, recent border security improvements have also prompted TCOs to shift their efforts to the Northern border,” the report said.

The committee put forward 23 recommendations for Congress and the executive branch, covering intelligence sharing, counterterrorism, aviation security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, border security, emergency preparedness and biodefence.

Among other measures, it called for stronger information sharing among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, updated definitions of security threats and increased awareness of emerging terrorist tactics and organisations.

It also recommended additional resources for northern border security, full implementation of a biometric entry-exit system and expanded deployment of non-intrusive inspection technology.

The committee further called for risk-based artificial intelligence cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure and stronger international security partnerships.

Chairman of the committee, Andrew R. Garbarino, said the United States had made significant progress in strengthening national security since the September 11 attacks but warned that continued vigilance was necessary as threats evolved.

“Twenty-five years later, significant progress has been made towards strengthening our national security and ensuring we never again allow such an attack to be perpetrated against the United States,” Garbarino said in the report’s preface.

“This no-fail mission requires persistent vigilance and adaptation to keep pace with the contemporary threat environment.”

The report was released as the United States prepares to commemorate 25 years since the September 11 attacks, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

The committee said its assessment was designed to examine the country’s security improvements since the attacks while identifying areas where further action was required.

Garbarino said the committee remained focused on protecting Americans and ensuring that younger generations and future national security officials understood the significance of the September 11 attacks and the continuing demands of homeland security.