The African Continent is Seething with Activity from Radical Islamic Terrorist Organizations – A Snapshot
The security situation, reality, and its local and regional ramifications on the African continent are worse than they have ever been. Radical Islamic organizations are at their peak: Alongside a vast network of affiliates of the Islamic State (ISIS), stretching from West Africa to Central and Eastern Africa, other groups such as Al-Shabaab and Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen (JNIM) operate under the Al-Qaeda franchise, operating across national borders, threatening the stability of African governments, while at the same time maintaining a host of violent, radical or separatist militant networks alongside smuggling networks of all kinds (weapons, drugs, people, minerals, etc.)[1]
Terrorism and militant Islamist violence in Africa are concentrated in 5 main arenas. They are driven, as stated above, by two main ideological networks: Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
These groups operate mainly in uncontrolled rural areas, refugee areas, and border areas; international common areas where there is no significant state presence (e.g., the Liptako-Gourma border triangle); areas that constitute a fertile breeding ground for the growth and expansion of radical Islamic terrorist or separatist organizations. The following is the breakdown:
1) The Sahel region/West Africa is currently the epicenter of global terrorism, characterized by extensive territorial control and cross-border attacks. Organizations such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, and the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) control and operate in central and northern Mali, Burkina Faso (where rebels exert coercive influence over most of the territory), and western Niger. JNIM regularly imposes an economic blockade on Mali, and the organization has expanded its operational footprint in coastal West African nations, including northern Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo.
2) The Lake Chad Basin is also a long-standing center of insurgency where splinter factions are battling regional military forces. The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram factions are fighting each other and the Nigerian military in northeastern Nigeria, the Mandara Mountains in Cameroon, and the wider southern Lake Chad Basin, which includes parts of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
3) The Horn of Africa and Somalia remain the most active areas, led by the world’s largest al-Qaeda affiliate. Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Somalia control large swaths of rural southern and central Somalia and run a parallel state. The group frequently attacks urban centers such as the capital Mogadishu, and carries out cross-border operations and incursions into neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia.
4) In Mozambique in southeastern Africa, the Cabo Delgado region, a vital energy-producing region, has been battling an ongoing Islamist insurgency since 2017. The Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISM) (historically known as Ah al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah or al-Shabaab) operates primarily in the northernmost province of Cabo Delgado, with a recent expansion into the neighboring Niassa province.
5) In Central Africa (Great Lakes region), Islamic State affiliates are increasingly integrated into the densely populated and resource-rich regions of Central Africa. The Islamic State in Central Africa Province (ISCAP), which includes the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), operates in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the border areas extending to Uganda.
As part of my research, the focus of my writing is usually on the Sahel, which is, as mentioned, currently the epicenter of global terrorism. This time, this article will deal with the state of affairs in Somalia and Mozambique.
Somalia: Attacks on the former prime minister, fighting, militias… What is happening in Mogadishu?
Somalia is currently experiencing a serious political crisis in Mogadishu, exacerbated by a state of emergency, widespread famine, regional diplomatic tensions,[2] and a renewed outbreak of piracy. [3] Somalia has again plunged into open crisis, two weeks after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (HSM) remained in office despite the end of his term. The opposition claims that Mohamud was elected in 2022 for a four-year term ending on May 15, 2026. It argues that no constitutional change can extend his authority without broad political consensus.
For its part, the government argues that the reforms are needed to end repeated electoral delays and move Somalia away from a system in which tribal elders and political elites choose legislators. [4] But opposition leaders and some regional figures are accusing Mohamud of using the reforms to consolidate power and prolong his rule. [5]
For 35 years, the nation has been fighting an insurgency led by the Islamist organization Al-Shabaab, and it has never experienced a period of peace. [6] Al-Shabaab’s main goal is to overthrow Somalia’s federal government, expel foreign peacekeepers, and establish an Islamic state across the Horn of Africa governed by strict Sharia law. The Somali National Army (SNA) continues to carry out coordinated military operations, often killing dozens of militants in the central and southern regions. Al-Shabaab, on the other hand, has adapted to government pressure by increasing its use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), nighttime fighting tactics, and targeted killings. In regions where government control is still weak, the group is also rapidly employing parallel government to collect taxes and provide “justice” (in accordance with Islamic principles)[7]
As mentioned, fighting broke out between June 3 and 4 in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The heaviest fighting and deployment of heavy weapons are taking place in the Howlwadaag and Abdiasis districts. It has also been reported that government forces attacked former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.[8]
The current crisis has been brewing since last March, when the government passed a constitutional reform that extended the presidential and legislative terms from four to five years, a move that the opposition rejects as illegitimate. The opposition called for demonstrations on June 4 against the current regime, and fighting broke out that night. [9]
In a statement, local police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan announced a large-scale operation against ‘armed militias’. He said this is a major security operation being carried out by the capital’s law enforcement forces that is nearing its end. The operation is aimed at neutralizing heavily armed militias that have launched mortar attacks against certain neighborhoods in the capital.
What is happening in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique?
The security and humanitarian situations in Cabo Delgado remain volatile due to an ongoing Islamist insurgency.
While the Rwandan and Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM)[10] are cooperating to combat and contain the spread of the Islamic State of Mozambique (ISM), the forces have been able to secure key natural gas hubs, allowing companies like TotalEnergies to resume operations; rebel groups continue to carry out asymmetric attacks and cause mass displacement of civilians.[11]
Rwanda currently has a deployment of over 6,000 soldiers and police. Rwanda and Mozambique successfully secured a bilateral financial arrangement in mid-2026 to guarantee the security mission’s continuation in the face of an EU funding suspension.[12]
Islamic State affiliates have shifted their strategies to mobile, decentralized warfare. Instead of holding ground, they rely on ambushing convoys along key supply routes (such as the N380 highway), raiding villages, extortion, and targeting mining sites.
Rwandan and Mozambican military forces maintain strong control of the strategic Afungi Peninsula, Mocímboa da Praia, and Palma. This relative stability has allowed operators such as TotalEnergies to resume construction of multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.
The rebel attacks are causing a humanitarian crisis and mass displacement. The conflict has displaced more than a million people since 2017. A severe flare-up of violence in late 2025 and early 2026 has left tens of thousands of people newly displaced.[13]
Humanitarian assistance in the region remains largely underfunded and inadequate. Displaced populations face severe challenges in accessing basic necessities, adequate shelter, and food.
Repeated insurgent attacks have severely weakened the regional health system, with dozens of medical facilities destroyed or abandoned. Humanitarian actors, such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), continue to rely on mobile clinics to provide intensive care, maternity services and mental health support to camps for cyclically displaced people.
The continent is undoubtedly seething and boiling – the situation is alarming.
[1] Andrea Carboni, Héni Nsaibia, Miriam Adah, Mohamed Daud Ismail, Peter Bofin, Ladd Serwat, “Jihadist groups pose a growing and expanding threat in Africa,” ACLED (13.5.2026).
https://acleddata.com/report/jihadist-groups-pose-growing-and-expanding-threat-africa
Terrorism Takes Root
The Past Two Decades Have Seen Terror Groups Emerge and Persist from Mali to Mozambique
https://adf-magazine.com/2026/05/terrorism-takes-root/
[2] Regional tensions increased after Somaliland opened an embassy in Israel, prompting a strong response from the federal government of Somalia, which considers the isolated region part of its sovereign territory. Resurgence of piracy: The diversion of international maritime resources has led to a significant resurgence of Somali piracy off the Gulf of Aden, with several cargo ships and tankers hijacked in recent weeks.
[3] Somalia is facing one of the worst droughts on record, exacerbated by climate change. Millions of people face severe food insecurity and lack of basic necessities. There is a shortage of aid: The crisis is being exacerbated by a catastrophic collapse in international aid funding, forcing humanitarian organizations to cut aid programs, leaving displaced families in critical need of food and medical care. Due to climate shocks and insecurity, the country has hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people, putting enormous pressure on makeshift camps and limited resources.
[4] The administration describes the transition as necessary to build a democratic electoral model of “one-person, one-vote”. The opposition sees the move as an illegal and unconstitutional power grab.
[5] Omar Faruk, “Armed clashes erupt in Somalia’s capital ahead of a planned anti-government demonstration,” AP (3.6.2026).
https://apnews.com/article/mogadishu-somalia-fighting-5c309734648b6270e88595b267de6fa3
[6] The war against the al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group al-Shabaab in Somalia remains a complex and intricate conflict. While the Somali government, supported by local tribal militias and international partners, has recaptured significant territory, the group retains the ability to adapt, infiltrate, and launch devastating asymmetric attacks.
[7] The United States continues to provide support to Somalia in its war on terror, including intelligence sharing and regular drone strikes through U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). In addition, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) supports federal forces, although mandate transitions have raised concerns about potential security gaps.
[8] Ayaan Abdullahi, “Clashes erupt near Somalia ex-PM’s home in Mogadishu,” Somalia today (3.6.2026).
https://somaliatoday.com/security/clashes-erupt-near-somalia-ex-pms-home-in-mogadishu-2026-06-03
[9] Heavy fighting continues in Mogadishu, disrupting roads and airport access
[10] Rwandan security forces have been operating in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province since July 2021. They currently have a force of over 4,000 soldiers and police, deployed to combat an insurgency linked to the Islamic State. Their mission is primarily focused on stabilizing the region and securing multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects. Rwanda and Mozambique reached an agreement in May 2026 under which Mozambique would independently finance the deployment of Rwandan forces, thus ensuring the continuation of the mission.
Rwanda says Mozambique has secured funds for it to continue Cabo Delgado mission
‘Rwanda’s Cabo Delgado deployment has been most effective response to insurgency in northern Mozambique’
[11] Since 2017, violent extremist attacks have occurred in Cabo Delgado, where at least 6,200 people have been killed and more than a million displaced. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 1.3 million people have been displaced in Mozambique since the conflict began.
Security solutions alone will not end terrorism in Cabo Delgado – UK High Commissioner
[12] On 15 July 2021, the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) was established to maintain regional peace and combat violent extremism in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. This mission ended its mandate on 15 July 2024, after operating for three years. The main countries participating in the mission were: South Africa, Rwanda, Mozambique, Angola, Botswana and the Republic of the Congo. The termination of the joint mission was mainly due to constraints Severe budgetary constraints, logistical difficulties and a shift in the Mozambican government’s preference for bilateral security agreements (such as those with Rwanda) over regional intervention.
SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in Brief
https://www.sadc.int/latest-news/sadc-mission-mozambique-samim-brief
[13] Mozambique Conflict Monitor Update: 3 June 2026
https://acleddata.com/update/mozambique-conflict-monitor-update-3-june-2026
