The Islamic state has declared that it will wage war on several African nations till it actualizes the formation of the Habasha Emirate. ISIS aims to eliminate the nation states of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Chad, Cameroon, Uganda and South Sudan; and replace them with a unitary emirate under the suzerainty of Caliph Ibrahim al-Baghdadi. The announcement was made formally in al Raqqa – the de facto capital of the Islamic State.

ISIS has accused the governments of the aforementioned nations of exercising illegal authority over Muslim lands, and has vowed to wage an extended jihad till non-Islamic rule over these nations is extinguished. This comes at a time when ISIS terrorists are gaining ground in Libya and Yemen; and there exists credible reports that ISIS plans to use operational bases set up in these two nations to launch a lethal terrorist campaign against the nine African nations.

ISIS ideologues have justified war against the aforementioned nations by quoting from the teachings of the medieval Islamic logician, Sheikh Taqî ad-Dîn Aḥmad ibn Taymiyyah. Ibn Taymiyyah stated that jihad must be waged against nations whose territories were once ruled by Muslims till the nations are subjugated to the Islamic caliphate.

Sudanese intelligence has expressed concern that ISIL is making unacceptable inroads in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Chad thus imperiling its territorial integrity and national security. Credible intelligence from the Sudanese Muhabharat and Ethiopian intelligence shows that both nations are extremely wary of ISIL establishing bases in Somalia and parts of North-Eastern Kenya.