East Africa Counterterrorism Operation, North and West Africa ...

EAST AFRICA COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATION

NORTH AND WEST AFRICA COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATION

LEAD INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

JULY 1, 2020SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

ABOUT THIS REPORT

A 2013 amendment to the Inspector General Act established the Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) framework for oversight of overseas contingency operations and requires that the Lead IG submit quarterly reports to Congress on each active operation. The Chair of the Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency designated the DoD Inspector General (IG) as the Lead IG for the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation and the North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation. The DoS IG is the Associate IG for the operations. The USAID IG participates in oversight of the operations.

The Offices of Inspector General (OIG) of the DoD, the DoS, and USAID are referred to in this report as the Lead IG agencies. Other partner agencies also contribute to oversight of the operations.

The Lead IG agencies collectively carry out the Lead IG statutory responsibilities to:

? Develop a joint strategic plan to conduct comprehensive oversight of the operations.

? Ensure independent and effective oversight of programs and operations of the U.S. Government in support of the operations through either joint or individual audits, inspections, investigations, and evaluations.

? Report quarterly to Congress and the public on the operations and on activities of the Lead IG agencies.

METHODOLOGY To produce this quarterly report, the Lead IG agencies submit requests for information to the DoD, the DoS, USAID, and other Federal agencies about the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation, the North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation, and related programs. The Lead IG agencies also gather data and information from other sources, including official documents, congressional testimony, policy research organizations, press conferences, think tanks, and media reports.

The sources of information contained in this report are listed in endnotes or notes to tables and figures. Except in the case of IG audits, inspections, investigations, or evaluations referenced in this report, the Lead IG agencies have not verified the data and information cited in this report. The DoD, the DoS, and USAID vet the reports for accuracy prior to publication. For further details on the methodology for this report, see Appendix B.

CLASSIFIED APPENDIX This report normally includes an appendix containing classified information about the U.S. mission to degrade or contain VEOs--including al-Qaeda, ISIS, and their associated forces--in designated regions of Africa. Due to the coronavirus disease?2019 pandemic, the Lead IG agencies did not prepare a classified appendix this quarter.

FOREWORD

We are pleased to submit this Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) quarterly report to the U.S. Congress on the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation and North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation. This report discharges our individual and collective agency oversight responsibilities pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978.

The purpose of the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation and the North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation is to degrade VEOs--including al-Qaeda, ISIS, and their associated forces--in designated regions of East and North Africa and contain them in designated regions of West Africa.

This quarterly report describes the activities of the U.S. Government in support of the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation and the North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation, as well as the work of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to promote the U.S. Government's policy goals in Africa, during the period July 1 through September 30, 2020.

This report also discusses the ongoing and completed oversight work conducted by the Lead IG agencies and our partner oversight agencies during the quarter.

In 2019, the Secretary of Defense rescinded the overseas contingency operation designation for the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation and the North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation. Pursuant to the Inspector General Act, Lead IG responsibilities and authorities cease at the end of the first fiscal year in which the total amount appropriated for the contingency operation is less than $100 million. Since FY 2020 appropriations relating to continuing military training, support, or operations in East Africa and North and West Africa were not associated with a designated contingency operation, Lead IG reporting responsibilities for the operations conclude with this report.

Oversight of activities related to ongoing counterterrorism operations will continue under our individual statutory authorities. We remain committed to providing appropriate and timely oversight of these operations.

Sean W. O'Donnell Acting Inspector General U.S. Department of Defense

Matthew S. Klimow Acting Inspector General U.S. Department of State

Ann Calvaresi Barr Inspector General U.S. Agency for International

Development

On the Cover (Top row): A U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Brigade soldier trains a Djiboutian soldier (USAFRICOM photo); Somali youth create masks to fight the spread of COVID-19 (U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu photo); U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Donald Yamamoto and Somali Minister of Finance Abdirahman Beileh, joined by Prime Minister Mohamed Roble, sign a bilateral agreement to reduce and restructure debt owed by the Somali government to three U.S. Government agencies. (U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu photo); (Bottom row): Djiboutian soldiers perform a live fire exercise in Djibouti. (U.S. Air Force photo)

MESSAGE FROM THE LEAD INSPECTOR GENERAL

I am pleased to present this Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report on the status of the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation and the North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation. The purpose of these operations is to degrade al-Qaeda, ISIS, their associated forces, and other violent extremist organizations (VEO) in designated regions of East and North Africa and contain them in designated regions of West Africa.

Due to the sunset of Lead IG authority, this will be the final quarterly report on these operations, concluding more than 2 years of interagency oversight and reporting. However, the U.S. counterterrorism mission and diplomatic and humanitarian assistance activities in these regions of Africa will continue.

In East Africa, al-Shabaab attacks in Somalia continued during the quarter.

Sean W. O'Donnell

U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) said that al-Shabaab "remains adaptive, resilient, and capable of attacking Western and partner interests in Somalia and East Africa."

The United States and the international community continued to train, advise, accompany, and equip Somali

forces as they battled al-Shabaab. The Somali government, however, has not met milestones for the development

of its security forces. During the quarter, the United States worked with the Somali government to revise plans to

transition security responsibilities to Somali forces.

In North Africa, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and ISIS-Libya did not conduct any known attacks this quarter. Both VEOs are significantly degraded and currently pose no threat to the U.S. homeland and a minimal threat to U.S. interests in the region. Ceasefires between the UN-backed Government of National Accord and the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army held during the quarter and both parties participated in UN-sponsored peace talks. However, the presence of foreign fighters and dozens of local armed militias could jeopardize ongoing efforts to demilitarize the conflict and reach a sustainable political solution to the civil war.

In West Africa, VEOs were neither degraded nor contained during the quarter. Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam walMuslimin (JNIM) continued to expand in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. In August, the U.S. Government suspended security assistance to the Malian government--a key counterterrorism partner in the region--following a coup by Malian army officers. Some intelligence sharing continued and many humanitarian assistance activities will likely continue. In September, following pressure from the DoS and the international community, the Malian military leaders agreed to form a transitional government and hold democratic national elections within 18 months.

The U.S. Government will continue to face many challenges as it works to degrade and contain the evolving and dynamic VEO threats in Africa. In particular, the DoD said that it needs to remain postured to proactively identify these threats, determine their scope and scale, and respond appropriately, despite the challenges of USAFRICOM's limited footprint on the continent. As the VEO threat cannot be addressed through military action alone, the U.S. Government will need to effectively leverage and coordinate the diplomatic, humanitarian, and development capabilities of multiple agencies to address the underlying drivers of extremism, including poor governance, humanitarian crises, and lack of economic opportunity.

Despite the termination of Lead IG oversight and reporting, my Lead IG colleagues and I will continue to provide oversight of U.S. Government activities in these regions in Africa under our respective statutory authorities. Finally, I would like to thank the men and women of the Lead IG agencies who work tirelessly to execute their oversight missions in these regions of Africa.

Sean W. O'Donnell Acting Inspector General U.S. Department of Defense

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