France’s foreign intelligence director Nicolas Lerner has highlighted the strength of operational security cooperation with Morocco in tracking jihadist networks in North and East Africa, citing joint monitoring of French speaking militants moving toward al Qaeda linked groups in Somalia.
Speaking to Le Figaro, Lerner said Africa remains “the global center of jihad,” with escalating activity across the Sahel, Lake Chad basin, Nigeria, the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa.
He noted that African fighters have taken on greater roles in what remains of al Qaeda and Islamic State leadership structures, long dominated by operatives from the Middle East.
Lerner warned that the Sahel has again become a critical zone after France’s withdrawal, with jihadist groups expanding freedom of movement and threatening regional stability.
He said French intelligence remains engaged with partner states to contain spillover risks toward coastal West Africa.
Lerner added that the likelihood of complex, externally directed attacks in Europe has decreased since the 2015 Paris attacks, due to military operations in Iraq and Syria, strengthened EU border controls and dismantling of local support cells.
He said France now faces two primary risks: attacks “activated” by Islamic State Khorasan and “inspired” attacks by individuals radicalized online.
Lerner underlined that DGSE and domestic security agencies track foreign fighters, financing channels and propaganda structures to disrupt threats before they reach Europe, stressing that jihadist safe havens in Africa pose a direct security concern for France.
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