AU: Thousands of IS jihadists could return to Africa
(VOVWORLD) - Up to 6,000 Africans who fought for the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Iraq and Syria could return home, the African Union's top security official warned on Sunday, calling on countries to prepare for the threat.
 Smail Chergui, the AU's commissioner for peace and security (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Smail Chergui, the AU's commissioner for peace and security, said African nations would need to work closely with each other and share intelligence to counter returning militants. He said there are reports of 6,000 African fighters among the 30,000 foreign elements who joined this terrorist group in the Middle East and that the return of these elements to Africa poses a serious threat to national security and stability and requires specific treatment and intense cooperation between all African countries.