African security chiefs strategise to tackle exploitation of social media, digital technologies by terrorists

African security chiefs are worried about the increasing use of digital technologies and social media platforms by terrorist groups that hold sway over ungoverned territories across the Sahel and West Africa region.

The security leaders, according to Punch, expressed their concerns on Tuesday at a three-day regional conference on detecting and disrupting terrorists’ exploitation of information and communication platforms as well as emerging technologies.

Participants were drawn from across the volatile region, including representatives from the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), among other regional and international bodies.

Idriss Lalalli, the acting director of the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre, acknowledged the expanding digital footprints of Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliates in the region.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), Boko Haram and other terror groups are consolidating their presence in the Sahel and Lake Chad basin states, deploying new technologies in an unconventional war already overstretching state and regional forces.

JNIM, for instance, has conducted several drone attacks in the Sahel since its first AI-enabled aerial assault on military positions in Bandiagara, Mali, in 2023. The ISSP also deployed a drone for the first time in its attack on Niamey airport earlier this year.

Also, these groups continue to exploit many digital platforms for propaganda and recruitment, gaining territory control and winning hearts and minds beyond their physical strongholds, a trend Mr Lalalli said poses threats faster than security agencies could respond.

“Across West Africa and the Sahel today, ISWAP, Boko Haram and JNIM are extending their reach through technology,” Mr Lalalli said. “They recruit on social media platforms, move and conceal funds via mobile money, gift cards and cryptocurrencies.”

The regional defence chief alleged that these terror groups purchase weapons on “darknet marketplaces,” fly drones, communicate over satellite links, and use AI “to tailor propaganda and evade detection.”

“What makes this difficult is speed and cost,” he continued. “A [terror] cell with a modest budget can now reach audiences far beyond its physical presence and move faster than our procedures can respond.”

Mr Lalalli called for specialised training, regional coordination and stronger collaboration with private sector operators.

In his remarks, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, noted that emerging technologies further complicate Africa’s security landscape.

Represented by Adamu Laka, the coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Mr Ribadu said AI-created content, drones and autonomous systems “can expand operational capabilities,” noting that these assets can pave the way for new terror financing channels.

“We must, therefore, strengthen our ability to anticipate, detect, analyse and disrupt threats before they materialise,” the NSA advised.

Beyond acquiring sophisticated equipment, Mr Ribadu said the continent needs technical knowledge, institutional coordination and cooperation among security agencies.

He also urged West African and Sahelian countries to strengthen cross-border intelligence cooperation and share actionable cyber threat information promptly.

“Nigeria recognises that no institution, country or sector can defeat terrorism alone,” he said.

The NSA added that Nigeria was working with the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre to secure accreditation for the NCTC as a regional centre of excellence for counterterrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.

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He said the initiative followed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration at the High-Level Africa Counterterrorism Summit in April 2024.

Conference expectations

Mr Lalalli said the conference would train participants in cyber threat intelligence, open-source intelligence, digital forensics and blockchain analysis to help them track online recruitment networks, preserve digital evidence and trace cryptocurrency transactions.

He said the skills needed to be integrated to strengthen investigations and prosecutions.

The AU official also urged stronger collaboration with social media companies, telecommunications operators and financial service providers, noting that terrorist groups often exploit privately owned infrastructure.

“You leave as this continent’s first cohort of trainers in this domain. You will leave here not just carrying home a certificate, but a responsibility. The Centre will stand behind you. But the multiplier is you,” he said.