A Canadian diplomat who was held captive by al-Qaida terrorists within the Sahara Desert for 130 days says Canada’s promised enhance to defence ought to embody commitments to combatting the rising Islamic terrorism risk in Africa — a risk he says isn’t getting the eye it deserves.
Robert Fowler says it will take “a really massive and critical effort to eradicate” the teams which have taken root in West Africa’s Sahel area — significantly Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali — and that U.S. navy officers say are preventing to realize entry to the western coast, which might improve their capability to assault North America.
“There’s nothing we are able to say that can dissuade these individuals from doing what they’re doing — I definitely realized that within the sand,” he advised Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that aired Sunday on The West Block.
“They’re deeply, completely dedicated and are evidently ready to die in that dedication. So it will take a really massive and critical effort to eradicate them, as a result of they received’t be satisfied to not do it.”
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Fowler, the longest-serving Canadian ambassador to the United Nations and an adviser to 3 former prime ministers, was captured by militants with the al-Qaida within the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group in December 2008 whereas serving as a UN particular envoy to Niger.
He was launched together with different Western captives the next April.
Since then, the presence of AQIM and different Islamic militant teams within the Sahel area has solely grown, finishing up assaults towards civilians whereas claiming huge swaths of territory.
Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali are at the moment dominated by navy juntas who took energy by way of coups within the final two years, with various levels of Islamic affect.
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Round 5,000 civilians have been killed within the violence in these three international locations within the first 5 months of this yr, in keeping with the Armed Battle Location and Occasion Information Undertakinga 25-per cent improve from the earlier 5 months.
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The lack of the French and American militaries from the area in current months has additional created an influence vacuum, consultants like Fowler say.
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Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, advised reporters final week that the U.S. navy’s withdrawal from Niger and an vital counterterrorism base there final September means it has “misplaced our capability to observe these terrorist teams carefully,” as violent assaults within the Sahel proceed to rise in each “frequency and complexity.”
He added that U.S. forces are “standing with” native militaries in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin to stop these teams from reaching their coasts.
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“In the event that they safe entry to the shoreline, they will finance their operations by way of smuggling, human trafficking, and arms buying and selling,” Langley stated in a media briefing.
“This places not simply African nations in danger, but additionally will increase the prospect of threats reaching the U.S. shores.”
Fowler stated Canada additionally faces this danger, significantly the specter of particular person acts of violence within the title of teams like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
“I believe it’s truthful to say that Islamic terrorism has not been overwhelmed,” he stated.
“No matter success we had in Iraq, and the non-success we had in Afghanistan, hasn’t in any method blunted the jihadi motion, and so we’re going to must be extraordinarily vigilant.”
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He added that western governments aren’t ready to commit the investments and navy capabilities essential to eradicate these threats in Africa.
“No matter they need to be doing, they received’t be doing for all types of causes, most of which don’t have anything to do with Africa,” he stated. “There are different points and different considerations, and all people wants cash for these various things, and that doesn’t depart a lot for Africa.
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“The French had 5,000 top-line troopers there for years, they usually couldn’t do it. It could take far more than that. However no, I don’t suppose now we have the need to do it.”
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Canada’s new Africa Technique, launched in March, commits over $30 million to “peace and safety” initiatives within the Sahel and different conflict-affected areas like Sudan, however are centered totally on humanitarian assist and civilian helps.
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The Canadian Forces ended its peacekeeping mission in Mali in 2023 and has in any other case drastically decreased its presence on the continent.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has dedicated to bolstering border safety, constructing on guarantees underneath the earlier Liberal authorities to reinforce screening of entry factors and crack down on unlawful crossings and smuggling.
Fowler stated the African risk ought to additional encourage the Canadian authorities to spend “a complete lot extra” on defence, which he stated has been “pitiful” for years.
Carney has vowed to get Canada’s defence spending to NATO’s goal degree of two per cent of GDP by 2030, and the Liberal platform promised $30 million in new spending over the following 4 years. The federal government spent simply over 1.3 per cent final yr.
“We don’t must suppose good issues about President Trump, however that doesn’t imply he isn’t improper when he criticizes our defence efficiency,” Fowler stated.
“He’s proper: now we have been getting for years a free experience, significantly in continental defence.”
Whereas he wouldn’t go as far as to suggest Canada signal on to Trump’s “Golden Dome” space-based missile defence idea, Fowler stated it’s “illogical” that Canada is just not half of the present U.S. ballistic missile defence initiative and comparable packages.
“We very a lot must persuade the People that we’re doing our bit, that we’re sovereign and are dedicated to remaining so, as a result of I believe Canadians deserve that form of defence of their territory,” he stated.
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Requested what recommendation he’d give Carney, Fowler stated merely: “Signal on.”
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