At a meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh in
Rome,
will commit £12.6m to support efforts to counter the
group in the Lake Chad Basin, which covers north-east
Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
The funds will be used to support both the
regionally-led military fight against Daesh, and
projects encouraging its fighters to leave the
terrorist group.
Foreign ministers from more than 45 countries are
meeting today to discuss deepening cooperation to
combat Daesh and its affiliate terrorist groups,
including emerging threats across the African
continent.
The UK will highlight concern over the fragile
security situation in Iraq and violence in
displacement camps and detention centres in
north-east Syria.
will urge Coalition partners to come together to
tackle this pressing threat and target the
longer-term drivers of terrorism, both in the Middle
East and in areas of Africa where attacks from
Daesh-linked groups have been growing.
The UK is funding a new Conflict, Stability and
Security Fund programme for the Lake Chad Basin
region of West Africa, where Daesh’s affiliate, known
as Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), is responsible
for significant violence.
This will support regional military efforts to
counter Daesh and other groups, as well as efforts to
safely demobilise suspected low-level members of
terrorist groups.
Foreign Secretary, ,
said:
“Two years since Daesh’s territorial defeat in Iraq
and Syria, the threat of Daesh and its hateful
ideology has not gone away. Worryingly it continues
to grow in Africa which is why we must work with our
Coalition partners to fight its poisonous propaganda
on all fronts.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with our African
partners to tackle the growing threat from
Daesh-linked groups across Africa, particularly in
the Lake Chad Basin.”
Daesh recently released a new speech by its
spokesman, the first since October 2020.
The spokesman congratulated affiliates for their
attacks, including in West Africa. Islamic State West
Africa (ISWA) in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin
regularly issues propaganda boasting horrific
violence against both civilian and military targets.
The funding announced today will help counter such
propaganda.
As set out in the Government’s Integrated Review, the
UK is committed to burden-sharing with its security
allies, and to serving as a “force for good in the
world”.
Monday’s meeting in Rome will mark the first time
Global Coalition foreign ministers have met in person
since November 2019, and will be co-hosted by Italian
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and US Secretary of
State Anthony Blinken.
