UN Security Council hears how Da'esh and affiliates remain a global threat

Giving a joint briefing to the UN Security Council, UN counterterrorism officials detailed how the threat posed by Da'esh and their affiliates is still "global and evolving".

UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov explained: “Da’esh and its affiliates continue to exploit conflict dynamics, governance fragilities and inequality to incite, plan and organise terrorist attacks."

The Security Council also heard how they exploit pandemic restrictions, use digital spaces to recruit sympathisers and have “significantly” increased the use of unmanned aerial systems.

Voronkov talked of the decentralised structure of Da'esh which is focused around a "general directorate of provinces" and "associated offices" and explained how this had contributed to their expansion across Iraq, Syria and some areas of Africa.

Voronkov highlighted the global threat posed by Da'esh, saying that the border between Iraq and Syria is still highly vulnerable, with around 10,000 fighters in the area. In Afghanistan, the number of attacks claimed or attributed to the local Da'esh affiliate has decreased since the Taliban took control, however, they have expanded into the north-east and east of the country. Furthermore, across Europe, Da'esh has called on sympathisers to carry out attacks exploiting the conflict in Ukraine and the easing of Covid restrictions.

Voronkov also highlighted the expansion of Da'esh across central, southern and western parts of Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Mozambique.

On the topic of financing, Voronkov said that the leaders of the group are managing around $25 to $50 million in assets, which is significantly less than estimates from three years ago.

He also touched on repatriating foreign fighters, welcoming recent repatriation by Iraq, Tajikistan and France. However he cautioned that the limited progress in this area is “far overshadowed by the number of individuals still facing a precarious and deteriorating situation”, pointing out that tens of thousands of people from Iraq and around 60 other countries still face security challenges and humanitarian hardship. Voronkov called on member states to increase their efforts to facilitate the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of all individuals who remain stuck in camps and other facilities. 

Image: Pixabay