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Islamist groups join together to further threaten African Christians

By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent

WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News)-- Three violent African Islamist groups are now networking together to further their attacks against that continent's Christians.

That was the assessment of General Carter Ham, commander of the US military’s Africa Command.

Ham said there are indications that Boko Haram, al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are pooling their destructive resources and training together.

"Each of those three organizations is by itself a dangerous and worrisome threat. What really concerns me is the indications that the three organizations are seeking to coordinate and synchronize their efforts."

Boko Haram has been fighting to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria since 2009, killing more than 1,000 in attacks targeting state security forces and Christians.

Al-Shabaab controls most of southern Somalia where it imposes a strict shar'ia in order to turn the entire country into an Islamic state. Al-Shabaab militants have killed many converts from Islam and have vowed to kill all the Christians in the capital at Mogadishu.

AQIM is the al-Qaeda affiliate in North Africa that is behind numerous bomb attacks and kidnappings of Westerners.

All three militant groups have been strengthened not only by their growing cooperation, but by a breakdown of security in Libya after the so-called Arab Spring.