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The French newspaper Le Monde published a report stating that Marches It has become a threat to the possibility of its widespread use in African wars, highlighting that armed groups have so far only used marches with reconnaissance functions.
The report revealed that the storming of the US-Kenyan military base in 2020 by members of the Somali Al-Shabaab movement in Manda Bay – near the Kenyan-Somali border – was planned thanks to images collected using a reconnaissance drone.
He added that ISIS West Africa began using it regularly in Nigeria to monitor the forward positions of this country’s army.
The report quoted Robin Das, a researcher at the International Center for Research on Political Conflict and Terrorism in Singapore, as saying that armed organizations are using these drones to conduct reconnaissance operations or to film propaganda videos, adding, “We have not yet observed offensive use similar to what we have seen in Syria and Iraq since 2016.” .
Imminent danger
The Le Monde report indicated that the “killer drones” – which ISIS used extensively against the international coalition – take multiple forms.
They may have been recreational aircraft turned into suicide drones after being attached to an explosive device. It is also possible that these are commercial quadcopter drones that are usually used for civilian video recording, but they are capable of dropping explosives vertically.
The report quoted one of the European officers who was recently deployed in the Sahel region as saying, “It is only a matter of time before these technologies are used on African soil.”
Robin Das added, “If they want to use this method of operation, they must meet three conditions: control a sufficient area, obtain the technical skills necessary to arm a drone, and benefit from external support.”
According to Das, LSomali Al-Shabaab movement This weapon was developed rapidly thanks to its connection to Al-Qaeda and smuggling routes.
The writer talked about purchasing online and converting commercial drones capable of carrying explosive devices by local engineers, saying that it would cost about 3 thousand euros.
Constant threat
The Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Air Force, Baba Souleymane Sarr, expressed his fears about the use of regular drones in armed operations, and considered that “the extensive use of remote-controlled vehicles, which has become possible thanks to the accessibility of technology and the high costs of its application, has become a real threat to any army.” “No matter how recent.”
According to Wim Zwijnenberg, a researcher in conflict and environmental affairs at the Dutch organization PAX, the drones are so small and fast that they cannot be detected by radar and are difficult to neutralize, so African countries are already investing in prevention systems.
The report talked about Ivory Coast, which will use systems to protect its infrastructure before the African Cup of Nations, which will start next January 13, in addition to monitoring its northern borders.
But to limit the spread of this threat, African countries cannot rely on any international resolution.
The Global Counter-Terrorism Forum simply advised countries to “develop tactical countermeasures and technical solutions” to confront drones.
According to Robin Das, “Any terrorist drone attack in Africa would have a devastating psychological impact on the civilian population because it would demonstrate the technological sophistication of a group and increase the threat it poses to a country.”
