Africa has emerged as a focal point for European Union security concerns, according to Europol’s recently published EU TE-SAT 2025 report.
The report highlights a significant surge in the activity and influence of groups affiliated with ISIS and Al-Qaeda across the continent, particularly in the Sahel, Somalia, and Mozambique. These regions are rapidly transforming into critical hubs for global terrorism, with a direct and escalating impact on the security of the European Union.
Europol’s analysis indicates that these increasingly unstable African regions are attracting a growing number of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) seeking new operational grounds following the decline of strongholds in Syria and Iraq. In the Sahel, specifically the tri-border area encompassing Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP) are expanding their territorial control and now pose a direct threat to neighboring coastal states.
In East Africa, the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab continues to exert dominance over significant portions of Somalia. Concurrently, ISIS is solidifying its presence in Puntland, utilizing it as a key regional logistics base. Further south, in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, ISIS is systematically conducting targeted attacks against civilians, with a particular focus on Christians, as part of their globally propagated “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them” campaign.
Beyond their territorial reach, these African-based groups play a central role in the broader communication strategy of international terrorism. The Europol report emphasizes their crucial digital connections, which serve as catalysts for remote radicalization. This is particularly concerning for Europe, as these groups actively target young Europeans through social media and content disseminated in multiple languages.
In 2024, Europe experienced 58 terrorist attacks, with 24 attributed to jihadist motives, resulting in five fatalities and 18 injuries. Furthermore, 289 arrests related to jihadist terrorism were made within the EU. A growing proportion of those arrested are radicalized youth, some even minors, who have been influenced by foreign-produced content, notably from Africa.
Europol issues a stark warning that the increasing ideological, operational, and logistical interconnectedness between Africa and Europe constitutes a structural threat. The report strongly advocates for enhanced security cooperation with African partner countries to proactively mitigate the risks of terrorist fighters being deployed to or returning to the EU.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA