Africa new breeding ground for Muslim terrorists, says confidential report

Ottawa, Canada, May 8, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Conflict and extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa have created a “permissive environment” for new recruits to al-Qaeda's terrorist network, says a newly released report by the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS).

"The poor, young, disaffected and undereducated members of these communities have provided terrorist organizations with intelligence and logistical support for their activities," the report said.

The Canadian Press obtained a censored version of an August 2004 CSIS report under the Access to Information Act. It was marked "Secret/Canadian Eyes Only."

The document, titled “The Islamist Threat in Sub-Saharan Africa”, says poor Muslim Africans are receptive to the idea of global jihad.

The Canadian Press reported that the document names Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania as possible breeding grounds for violent extremism.

The document reportedly says that political instability in Sub-Saharan Africa makes people susceptible to the "proselytizing of extremist Islamic clergy."

Al-Qaeda's terrorist attacks in the West are "seen as relatively minor when compared to the depredations perpetrated by domestic terrorist groups operating in sub-Saharan Africa," the report said.