Jihadism in North Africa : a 'Resilient' Threat in Times of Global Crises

In recent years, counterterrorism operations, strict anti-terrorism legislation and deradicalisation programmes have significantly reduced the threat of jihadism in North Africa, where terrorism-related fatalities have fallen to pre-Islamic State levels. Yet the threat remains resilient. This chapter examines the evolution of jihadist violence in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. It highlights the ongoing presence of Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliates, as well as the inconsistent effectiveness of national rehabilitation policies. It then delves into the growing risk of spillover from the Sahel — now the global epicentre of jihadist terrorism — in light of the withdrawal of Western forces, the expanding role of the Wagner Group, and the security vacuum in Libya. Finally, it concludes that the rivalry between Algeria and Morocco continues to hinder the development of an effective regional security framework to combat terrorism in the Sahel-Maghreb region.