Islamic State which is a Syria-based jihadist group has tried to expand it foothold in Africa with little impact as compared to other global jihadist terrorist organizations especially the Al Qaeda.
The Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi terror faction has managed to establish in Nigeria after courting the country’s extremist group known as the Boko Haram.
Boko Haram leadership pledged bay’ah to Islamic State terrorist group and since then it has waged several attacks in Nigeria as well as in the neighboring countries including Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
In Libya, the militant group has also tried to set camp around the Libyan city of Sirte.
Islamic State leadership has recently to court the Al Qaeda affiliated branch in Somalia. The terror group recently has been wooing the Somali jihadist fighters to shift allegiance from their parent terror group Al Qaeda to the Islamic State camp.
Islamic State which is known to conduct heinous atrocities including decapitations and crucifixions is trying to woo Al Shabaab members but with little success.
Sheikh Abdulqadir Mumin an Al Shabaab spiritual leader in Puntland state together with a group of 20 royalists recently pledged bay’ah to Islamic State leadership. Since then Al Shabaab Amniyaat wing has hunted them and killed most of them.
For instance Al-Shabaab fighters killed old-timer group’s official, Sheikh Hussein Abdi Gedi along with four others after Gedi reportedly tried to convince Al Shabaab members to make allegiance switch to Islamic State.
Sheikh Gedi was a close confidante of Al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abu Ubaydah and led the militant’s operations in Kismayu.
Senior Al Shabaab figures have insisted of the members united and warned pro-ISIS members within to stick to Al Qaeda or face the consequences.
Islamic State trying to expand in Africa has yielded minimum success as it has been met with jihadist rivalry challenges from Al Qaeda which has substantial followers and it will be hard for it to thrive in Horn of Africa and in East Africa when being hunted by their own and African Union Security Forces.
