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U.S. NEWSWednesday 23 March 2016
West African residents brace themselves amid attacks
CARLEY PETESCH ple will continue their at- Security personnel check a persons bag while scanning it before he is allowed to enter the Sea
Associated Press tacks. But this is not Islam. Plaza Mall complex, that is beside the city’s Radisson Blu Hotel in Dakar, Senegal, Tuesday, March
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Islam is peace,” said Papis 22, 2016. Armed police now patrol the Ivory Coast beach where Islamic extremists killed at least
Armed police now patrol Sane, 42, who works at the 19 people earlier this month. And in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, cars are pulled over for security
the Ivory Coast beach Sea Plaza Mall in Dakar checks of trunks, back seats and bags.
where Islamic extremists that is popular with foreign-
killed at least 19 people ers. “It’s God who protects Associated Press
earlier this month. And in ... Even with security, no
Senegal’s capital, Dakar, one is 100 percent secure.”
cars are pulled over for The attacks include one
security checks of trunks, on the Radisson Blu ho-
back seats and bags. tel in Bamako, Mali in No-
Across West Africa, se- vember, a popular hotel
curity measures are be- and cafe in Burkina Faso’s
ing beefed up following a capital, Ouagadougou, in
spate of deadly extremist January, and the shootings
attacks, including the as- earlier this month at the
sault Monday on a hotel Ivory Coast beach. Al-Qa-
in Mali that houses a Euro- ida in the Islamic Maghreb,
pean Union military mission. or AQIM, claimed respon-
Despite the precautions, sibility for those attacks.
there is widespread fear Mali was targeted again
over where the jihadis will Monday when gunmen at-
strike next. tempted to invade a Ba-
“Of course I am scared. I mako hotel where the EU
am scared that these peo- training mission stays.
“Al-Qaida was undoubt- the next target. Ivory Coast attack as re-
edly aware of the recent “Dakar represents an at- venge against the West Af-
intensification of security tractive target for jihad- rican country for handing
measures at hotels, res- ists owing to its status as over prisoners to Mali, and
taurants and bars in major a regional hub for many as a warning to France,
cities across West Africa, Western businesses, U.N. African and Western coun-
including in Abidjan. Tar- agencies and international tries that it will destroy se-
geting a popular beach NGOs,” he said. “Penetrat- curity for its citizens if not
just outside the capital illus- ing Dakar — particularly left safe in their lands in the
trates how jihadist groups given Senegal’s longstand- Sahel, the region below the
will almost always be able ing alliance with France — Sahara Desert.
to circumnavigate height- would constitute a major Ghana also contributes
ened defense mechanisms coup for AQIM because it troops and police officers
and find soft targets,” said is perceived as being far to operations in north Mali,
Sean Smith, an Africa ana- safer than capitals in the and could be the first tar-
lyst at Verisk-Maplecroft Sahel.” Senegal also con- get in English-speaking Af-
Risk Consultancy after the tributes more than 800 se- rica, but Smith said: “For
Ivory Coast attack. curity personnel to the U.N. the moment Francophone
Killing civilians in cosmo- peacekeeping mission in countries remain at greater
politan locations generates northern Mali, he said. risk.”
fear, he said, warning that Al-Qaida in the Islamic Ahouoi Albert, who works
Senegal’s capital may be Maghreb said it staged the for a youth association in
Ivory Coast, urged greater
security.
“Terrorism didn’t exist here
before. Now it does. It is not
acceptable,” he said. “We
are asking the government
to take all measures to pre-
vent this terrorism ... and
the international commu-
nity must help combat this
in the region.”q
