Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

Chapter 2.
<strong>Country</strong> <strong>Reports</strong> on Terrorism
AFRICA
In the Trans-Sahara region, al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) took advantage of a
renewed Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali and a coup d’état in Bamako to overrun northern Mali
by joining with violent extremist mercenary fighters returning from Libya in the wake of the
revolution there. Alongside regional efforts to contain and marginalize AQIM and its allies in
northern Mali, the international community urged Mali’s interim government to restore an
elected government to Mali, negotiate with groups in northern Mali that reject terrorism and
accept Mali’s territorial integrity, and respond to the humanitarian crisis.
Conflict in Nigeria continued throughout the northern part of the country, with hundreds of
casualties as indigenous terrorist attacks increased. The Nigerian violent extremist group, Boko
Haram, claimed responsibility for some of these attacks.
In East Africa, the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab remained the primary terrorist
threat. Along with progress on government formation, Somalia saw significant progress in 2012
on security as Somali National Security Forces and the AU Mission in Somalia along with
Ethiopian and allied Somali militia forces battled al-Shabaab and drove them out of many
population strongholds in south-central Somalia. Most notably, Kenyan forces gained control of
the port city of Kismayo in late September. Al-Shabaab continued to employ indirect assaults
and asymmetric tactics in Somalia, as well as claim credit for some attacks in Kenya.
Various East African countries continued to enhance domestic and regional efforts to bolster
border security; detect, deter, disrupt, investigate, and prosecute terrorist incidents; and create
integrated and dedicated counterterrorism practitioners.
TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNERSHIP (TSCTP)
Established in 2005, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) is a U.S.-funded
and implemented multi-faceted, multi-year effort designed to counter violent extremism and
contain and marginalize terrorist organizations. TSCTP’s core goals are to enhance the
indigenous capacities of governments in the pan-Sahel (Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Niger, Nigeria,
Senegal, and Burkina Faso), to confront the challenge posed by terrorist organizations in the
trans-Sahara, and to facilitate cooperation between those countries and U.S. partners in the
Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia).
TSCTP has been successful in building capacity and cooperation despite setbacks caused by
coups d’état, ethnic rebellions, and extra-constitutional actions that have interrupted work and
progress with select partner countries. For example, U.S. training and equipment have assisted
Mauritania to monitor its border with Mali and sustain professional units during operations
against AQIM, similarly, training and equipment have supported Niger’s efforts to protect its
borders and interdict terrorists attempting transit through its territory. Several TSCTP programs
have worked to counter the pull of violent extremism on youth, including educational and
8