US sees rising extremist threat in Africa

CAPE TOWN, June 14 (Reuters) The rise of religious ''Jihadist'' extremism in Africa is a serious concern, a top US official told delegates at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Cape Town.

''When we talk about the growth rate we have to be quite concerned,'' said Jendayi Frazer, assistant US Secretary of State for African Affairs, yesterday.

''The threat of extremism, in particular religious Jihadist extremism, is growing rapidly, and without proactive policies to prevent the penetration I think there is a tremendous threat,'' she said at a session on terrorism at the WEF Africa meeting.

Frazer said Africa, emerging after years of colonial rule and civil strife, was vulnerable to the threat of extremist violence mainly imported from the West Asia.

Attacks on the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998 threw a spotlight on a continent security analysts consider an ideal recruiting ground for potential terrorists.

Decades of underdevelopment and lack of state capacity has meant extremist activities and cells are difficult to detect in Africa's sparsely populated areas, some analysts say.

Frazer said many African countries, ranging from Mauritania on Africa's west coast, across to the east coast hotspot of Somalia and all the way down to the southernmost tip of South Africa faced potential extremist threats.

She said anarchic Somalia was an area of particular concern as the international community sought to prevent terrorist organisations gaining a foothold in Africa.

Frazer said the United States would remain involved in Somalia, providing assistance and pushing for dialogue, but would not commit any troops.

Asked if the US involvement could exacerbate tensions in the country, possibly fuelling anti-Western sentiment, Frazer said this was unlikely.

''I think that there are those who are committed to violence and they do not want to see reconciliation and whether the United States is in it or not, they will remain committed to violence and not a reconciliation process,'' Frazer told Reuters.

South Africa's Minister of Intelligence, Ronnie Kasrils, said southern Africa has remained relatively unaffected by extremist activity, although ''elements'' from as far away as Afghanistan had been detected coming into the region.

REUTERS SG RK0918