African countries could bear the brunt of a protracted conflict in the Middle East if global tensions spill over into new ideological or military standoffs, analysts warned.
They could “get trapped in the messy middle,” the Institute for Security Studies think tank noted, warning that “North and East African states face particular exposure to direct risks from primary and proxy actors.” South Africa, which has repeatedly criticized Israel’s military operations in recent years, called for international law to be observed, while Kenya said “multilateral diplomacy” was the best way to resolve the crisis.
Meanwhile, Africa’s biggest Shiite Muslim sect, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, staged protests over the attacks on Shiite-majority Iran. Thousands took part in the demonstrations across northern Nigeria, waving photos of the late Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and chanting slogans such as “Death to America, death to Israel.” Shiites are a minority in Nigeria, where the majority of the Muslim population is Sunni. One protester, among thousands who took to the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria’s commercial hub, told Semafor: “Our revenge will definitely come; Trump and Netanyahu should know that we will not let this go.”