UN Identifies ‘Best Response’ to Terrorism Threat in Africa

Terrorism constitutes a major threat to peace and security throughout the world, especially in Africa. Instability and conflict largely presented in some of the continent's regions create a perfect breeding ground for terrorism to thrive. In this regard, the UN officials admit that a more complex counter-terrorist approach is needed.

The "best response" to rampant terrorism currently on the rise in Africa is prevention, said Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, while delivering remarks on this issue to the organization's Security Council.

“Terrorists and violent extremists including Daesh*, Al-Qaeda* and their affiliates have exploited instability and conflict to increase their activities and intensify attacks across the continent”, she noted.

The senior UN official stated that extremist groups, pursuing different agendas and strategies, exacerbate existing insecurities making people’s lives even worse as “they can plunge a country emerging from war back into the depths of conflict”. She highlighted that “women and girls in particular bear the brunt of insecurity and inequality” as some terrorist groups have a misogynistic worldview denying women their basic rights.

However, the deputy secretary-general recognized the need for global action.

“The challenge belongs to us all. Countering international terrorism requires effective multilateral responses,” she stressed.

Mohammed outlined that several suggestions needed to improve counter-terrorism efforts in Africa, underlining that “prevention remains our best response”.

According to her, global actors and governments must first tackle issues such as internal conflicts and general instability that subsequently lead to terrorism - “the conditions exploited by terrorists in pursuit of their agenda”. Though combating terrorism can't be considered an excuse to violate human rights and international law, she underscored.

She also called for “whole-society” approaches, implying inclusion and protection for all society members, and “sustained and predictable funding” to prevent and counter terrorism. The significant role of international and regional organizations was emphasized specifically as joint action and commitment from all the parties involved “can address challenges posed by terrorist and violent extremist groups in the local context”.

She concluded her speech welcoming the upcoming summit on counter-terrorism in Africa that will be held in Nigeria in October 2023.

Over the past two years, terrorist groups have increased their presence in the Sahel region and West Africa, operating in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, expanding southward into the countries of the Gulf of Guinea. As a result of their violent actions, thousands of people have been killed and many more are still suffering from the impact terrorism has on their daily life.

* Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/“Islamic State”) and Al-Qaeda are terrorist organisations banned in Russia and many other countries