Published by the Director, Inter-University Centre for Terrorism Studies, USA, Yonah Alexander, the report revealed that Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb, had aligned with many other groups in order to expand its sources of funding.
The report entitled, “Terrorism in Northern Africa and the Sahel in 2012: Global Reach and Implications,” is an update on five earlier studies.
Intelligence reports have in the past identified a strong link between AQIM and Boko Haram with the newly emerging Ansaru.
Recall that in December 2012, the Commander of the United States African Command, Gen. Carter Ham, stated that there was an increasing collaboration between AQIM and other terrorist groups in Africa, including Boko Haram.
The 33-page report states in part, “The threats of Al-Qaida’s new regional hub in northern Mali and from its associates constitute both tactical and strategic challenges.
“Primary sources of financing of their activities include kidnapping (in some cases, kidnapping is outsourced to criminals), piracy and illicit trafficking of drugs, human, vehicles and other contraband goods.
“Intelligence reports and arrests have confirmed that AQIM has established links with Latin cartels for ‘drugs-for-arms’ smuggling into Europe through terrorist-trafficking networks in the Sahel.”
The report indicates that the drug and arms trafficking undertaken by the terrorists groups is further aided by porous borders of countries in the region.
When the spokesperson for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, was contacted to find out if the agency is aware of the drug-for-arms operation of Boko Haram, he said:
“We are aware of the report. The agency is conducting a critical investigation on that angle. The outcome of the investigation would determine what step to take next. But as far as NDLEA is concerned, we are not overlooking anything.”
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