NEW: US making "limited progress" in degrading #ISIS #alQaida in #Africa, per @DoD_IG report
"In East Africa, #alShabaab moved freely & launched attacks in #Somalia & #Kenya...In the #Sahel & LakeChad regions, violence continued at high levels & expanded to new territories"
"In North #Africa, ISIS-#Libya resumed small-scale attacks in the southern desert region of #Libya" per @DoD_IG Sean O'Donnell "The ongoing civil war...intensified as more foreign fighters and mercenaries deployed to Libya to fight on both sides of the conflict"
MORE: Spread of #COVID19 across #Africa "did not appear to slow VEO (violent extremist organizations) activity" per @DoD_IG O'Donnell "The pandemic exacerbated many of the underlying conditions that foster VEO growth, including economic and food insecurity"
#Africa #terrorism
.@DoD_IG notes differences btw @UN, @USAfricaCommand on #COVID19 impact
Per UN, #Sahel terrorists "capitalized on the virus to undermine state gvt authority through “unrelenting” attacks on national & int'l forces"
AFRICOM "did not observe any changes in extremist violence"
US non-military aid to #Africa hampered due to #coronavirus
"Several administrative hurdles, including additional layers of approval at the White House...slowed @USAID’s COVID19 programming" per @DoD_IG
Those also hurdles for @USAID included "restrictions on the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) for overseas projects, & inconsistent guidance on the branding and marking of assistance" per @DoD_IG report
Pace of US airstrikes vs #alShabaab slowed in 2nd quarter of 2020 - @USAfricaCommand telling @DoD_IG it launched 7 airstrikes in #Somalia from April-June as opposed to 33 from January-March
.@USAfricaCommand says there have been a total of 46 airstrikes vs #alShabaab in #Somalia as of August 28
US counterterror ops in North #Africa "remained limited" from April-June, per @DoD_IG, noting @USAfricaCommand "has not had a physical presence in Libya since April 2019 due to the unpredictable security environment"
Concerns that more #foreignfighters w/links to terror groups are fighting in #Libya|n cival war, tho "it is possible they were fighting for financial & personal reasons rather than for ideological motivation" per @DoD_IG, citing @USAfricaCommand
.@USAfricaCommand also noted "increasing reports of theft, sexual assault, and misconduct by #Syria|n fighters" per @DoD_IG
US now estimating there are +7,000 #Syria|n fighters in #Libya, per @DoD_IG
2,000 are getting support from #Russia, the rest sent by #Turkey
That's a slight increase from the abt 6,300 Syrian fighters US officials estimated were in Libya last quarter
#Russia supporting about 3,000 mercenaries in #Libya via the #Wagner Group - a slight increase from the 1st quarter of 2020, @USAfricaCommand tells @DoD_IG
In #Somalia "#alShabaab attacks continued at historically high levels & remained steady during the quarter despite the COVID-19 pandemic" per @DoD_IG citing data from @ACLEDINFO
April-June: 608 violent incidents
January-March: 568 incidents
.@USAfricaCommand says #alShabaab #IED attacks down slightly, possibly due to presence of #AMISOM, #Somali forces along main supply routes in #Mogadishu, per @DoD_IG
#alShabaab force strength estimated to be between 5,000-10,000 fighters, per @DoD_IG citing both @USAfricaCommand & @DefenseIntel
.@USAfricaCommand tells @DoD_IG decrease in airstrikes vs #alShabaab for 2nd quarter of 2020 due to adverse weather patterns and resource allocation issues
US believes #Turkey-backed #Syria|n mercenaries "have bolstered" #Libya's Gvt of Nat'l Accord (#GNA) but warns they pose a long-term risk
The Turkish-backed Syrians are "inexperienced, uneducated, & motivated by promises of considerable salary" @USAfricaCommand tells @DoD_IG
.@USAfricaCommand also warned of increased reports of theft, sexual assault & other misconduct-which could spark a backlash from the #Libya|n public
Several dozen military trainers from Sadat, a private Turkish military company responsible for training & supervision, per @DoD_IG
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