Comparison of the counterterrorism strategies of France, the United States of America and Russia in Africa

In the 21st century, Islamic terrorism emerges as a very important security and stability threat for many countries all over the world. Jihadist terrorism which is a global terrorism targeting everyone who does not adopt the tendency of Islamic fundamentalism poses a very significant security threat not only for underdeveloped countries but also developed ones. According to Global Terrorism Index 2023, the deadliest terrorist groups in 2022 were Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates, al-Shabaab, Balochistan Liberation Army ( BLA) and Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM). Most of these terrorist groups are related with Islamic terrorism. The purpose of this research is to examine the counterterrorism strategies of France, the USA and Russia, that experienced serious and deadly Islamic terrorist strikes at their home, in the continent of Africa where Islamic terrorism has been expanding and causing many casualties. Besides, this research is trying to find the similarities and differences between the counterterrorism policies of France, the USA and Russia and their success or failure for combatting Islamic terrorism in Africa. Keywords: Islamic terrorism, Counterterrorism, France, the USA, Russia, Africa