Africa ‘next front for anti-terror war’

Published on 04/04/2012 01:25

BRITISH youths in the UK could be radicalised as Africa becomes a potential new front for counter-terrorism, a report has warned.

The radicalisation of British youths seen in some sections of the Pakistani, North African and Indian communities over the last 15 years could spread to a greater extent across Somali communities too, the Royal United Services Institute report said.

The UK cannot expect to remain immune as al-Qaeda, which has been weakened following the death of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden in May last year, looks to partnerships in Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa to re-group and re-energise itself, it added.

The report’s author, Valentina Soria, said western security and intelligence agencies face new challenges “as jihadism evolves and disperses” into ungoverned parts of Africa.