The UN warned on Thursday that ISIS remains a major threat in Iraq, Syria, and the lands stretching from Central to Southern Africa, noting that the spectre of terrorism still looms large worldwide.
The ISIS Threat
UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov told the Security Council in New York that despite leadership losses in the past few months, the threat posed by ISIS “remains high and has increased in and around conflict zones where the group and its affiliates are active.”
Briefing the @UN Security Council on the threat posed by ISIL/Da’esh, USG @UN_OCT Voronkov highlighted the need for collective action in addressing the evolving terrorist threat
— United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (@UN_OCT) February 9, 2023
STATEMENT ➡️ https://t.co/qKtAIldJbm https://t.co/ZhgEkhluU3 pic.twitter.com/piNV3Bp3cf
Presenting a report of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, Voronkov warned that ISIS’ expansion in the Central, Southern, and Sahel regions of Africa is “particularly worrying” and should prompt the international community to “rethink and revise” efforts to counter the group.
While attacks, incited by ISIS propaganda, by lone actors and small cells in non-combat regions have declined, the terrorist group continues to “extend its reach” and “radicalise and recruit” new supporters through social media and video games.
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Voronkov added that ISIS is using “new and emerging technologies,” including unmanned aerial systems, for surveillance and reconnaissance.
Iraq and Syria
Noting that even though the terrorist organisation has been defeated territorially in Iraq and Syria, Voronkov said ISIS continues to be a menace in these countries. In this respect, he called for “urgent action” regarding the repatriation of women and children stuck in prison camps such as the Al Hol camp in Syria.
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“The pace of repatriations remains too slow, and children continue to bear the brunt of this catastrophe,” he said.
Experts have repeatedly warned that camps like Al Hol could be a breeding ground for a new generation of Islamist radicals unless efforts to repatriate women and children are undertaken.
Global Terrorism
The report noted that the scourge of terrorism is not limited to Iraq and Syria; instead, it remains a “global challenge.” Terrorists not only “move between different theatres of conflict,” but also use the battle field experience when they return home.
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“Terrorist attacks committed by such individuals have proven to be particularly lethal compared to those committed by purely homegrown terrorists,” it warned. The report also mentioned numerous cases wherein radicalised women associated with ISIS work as recruiters, indoctrinating civilians, particularly children.