By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Monday, stressed the necessity for Africa to take a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism, not only through might, but by addressing the root causes of the scourge, including poverty, inequality, and social injustice.
Speaking at the African High-level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Abuja , President Tinubu called for the establishment of a regional counter-terrorism centre that will serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building throughout Africa.
The President emphasised that while seeking to address the root causes of terrorism, Africa must also attack the roots that feed this evil branch - ransom and illegal mining - as terrorism evolves and perfects ways to continuously finance, re-equip, and re-supply itself for its sinister mission.
President Tinubu in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, was quoted as saying, Not only does it kidnap people, it 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 its 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 this 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, however, added that the African region 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.
President Tinubu further stated: 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 the 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 operation and the capture, occupation or disruption of strategic land and resources. We must continue to make careful yet meaningful progress toward 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 the efforts of Nigeria in beating the menace, President Tinubu said the nations counter-terrorism capabilities have been enhanced through the enactment of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, establishing the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
We have and will continue to take bold steps forward in safeguarding our nation and the wider region. Dedicated to coordinating and implementing counter-terrorism strategies, the NCTC significantly enhances our capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to terrorist threats. The Centre has become a platform; fostering greater collaboration among stakeholders and promoting synergy in our approach to fighting terrorism.
Similarly, our security forces continue to demonstrate courage and dedication in the fight against terrorism, often at great personal risk. I am grateful to the selfless work and sacrifice of these patriotic men and women. They are the best of the best.
I must also mention the ongoing need to halt the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) on the continent. No one state can solve this problem for itself. It requires continuous and concerted action by all of us. We need to reposition our regional organizations and build the capacity of our national institutions to effectively address this element of terrorism and violent extremism.
The president affirmed that Nigeria is committed to working with regional
