The United States has confronted Algeria to discuss how to deal with the threat posed by terrorist fighters returning to Africa after the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.
According to state television, the Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel received the vice counter-terrorism coordinator at the United States Department of State Alina Romanowski, during which he discussed bilateral security cooperation. The two officials essentially discussed the US-Algerian counter-terrorism partnership. Both expressed concern about the threat posed by the return of foreign fighters to Africa after the IS's defeat in Iraq and Syria.
The African Union, in which Algeria is the coordinator of the anti-terrorism strategy, fears that the return of African fighters could undermine peace and security on the continent, as new terrorist cells could be formed ready to launch terrorist attacks not only in the most vulnerable as the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa, but also in new areas that have never been hit by terrorist threats.
UN reports have estimated that around 6.000 African fighters, who have joined IS in Iraq and Syria, have returned home following the defeat of the terrorist group.