President Bola Tinubu has called on African countries to conscientiously tackle poverty, inequality and social injustice as root causes of terrorism. He equally canvassed the establishment of a regional counter-terrorism centre to serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination and capacity building on the continent.
At the African high-level meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Abuja, yesterday, Tinubu stated that the continent must take a comprehensive approach to combat violence, not only through might, but by addressing the aforementioned root causes.
He stressed that while seeking to address the causes of terrorism, Africa must also attack the roots that feed the evil branch – ransom and illegal mining – as the scourge evolves and perfects ways to continuously finance, re-equip, and re-supply itself for a sinister mission.
His words: “Not only does it kidnap people, but it also kidnaps precious resources. Billions upon billions of dollars that legitimate governments should be using to sculpt better societies by providing education, healthcare and food for their people now go to pay for weapons and response to mayhem.
“Look at the illegal mining that plagues so many of our nations today. Those who think illegal mining has no connection with financing terrorism are sorely mistaken. The international community has both the moral and legal obligation to help in this cause because it is external finance, not African money, that fuels these illegal operations. We shall be knocking on the door of the international community to answer this call for justice, peace and fair play.
“Key to our collective efforts against terrorism is the urgent need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre.”
The President stated that the continent must strengthen existing counter-terrorism structures such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) in Abuja, the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) in Addis Ababa. He underscored the importance of a regional standby force that includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate, declaring: “It must not be abandoned.”
The Nigerian leader continued: “I am mindful of the funding, legal and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force. However, with a prudent and clearly defined mandate that accords with international law and respects national sovereignty, such a force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism, capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region.
“Such a force can stand as a strong deterrent to large-scale and protracted terrorist operations and the capture, occupation, or disruption of strategic land and resources. We must continue to make careful yet meaningful progress towards this goal.
“Establishing an all-inclusive African Union Ministerial Committee on Counter-Terrorism is also a high priority as envisaged in the Declaration of the 16th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly two years ago in May 2022. This would ensure that a forum of high-level government officials meets regularly to assess our counter-terrorism efforts and provide guidance on how to further improve.
On efforts by the most populous black nation to tame the menace, Tinubu said counter-terrorism capabilities have been enhanced through the enactment of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act and National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
In his welcome remarks, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, observed that terrorism is being driven by several factors, including organised crime, foreign financing and training, poverty, inequality and prolonged conflicts.
He pointed out Nigeria is dealing decisively with all drivers of violent extremism, together with economic and social enablers, while boosting intelligence gathering through enhanced inter-agency collaboration and confidence building with citizens.
Ribadu added that the nation was strengthening its judiciary to effectively deal with cases of terrorism and had earmarked a fund to boost counter-terrorism efforts.
In her remarks, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, suggested that one of the ways to dislodge engenderers of terrorism was for Africa to rebuild its social contract with citizens and deliver good governance. She submitted: “Rebuilding the social contract is necessary for recovery.
“We must pay attention to women and girls, who are greatly impacted by terrorism, including the youth. Providing support and healing for those impacted by terrorism is important.”
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), Vladimir Voronkov, commended Nigeria for its leadership in counter-terrorism in Africa, and for hosting the meeting.
“Terrorism is a threat to peace and security, particularly in Africa where its impact is mostly felt. The success of UNOCT in Africa hinges on its support for Africa-led programmes and solutions,” he noted.
