蜜芽传媒

"Africa is the new frontline of global militancy." So says Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari in an article in a British newspaper in response to the US pullout from Afghanistan, arguing that extremism has risen across the continent while the Covid-19 pandemic has distracted people's attention.

But what will be the lessons learnt from Afghanistan's rapid fall to the Taliban - and will western governments be discouraged from getting involved in fighting militancy in other countries?

Jasmine Opperman is an analyst at the 14 North research group, based in Senegal. She says militant groups will be quick to use the Taliban's victory against a superpower as propaganda - and that African leaders should be careful when accepting military support:

"When you start relying on foreign assistance it's not permanent, it always comes with a price tag and you are always left vulnerable... The politicians in Africa need to set realistic goals the moment they engage western foreign support in what they want to gain and how the locals will actually benefit. There's more to fighting terrorism than a finger on the trigger."

(Photo: A French soldier in northern Burkina Faso in 2019. Credit: AFP)

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