African countries must collaborate in fight against terrorism, AU says

NAIROBI, Kenya - African countries should start working closely to solve complex security issues that have partly hindered development, the African Union [AU] has said, highlighting challenges in Western and the Horn of Africa regions. 

Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, the Director of Conflict Management within the AU Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said there is a need for a concerted effort to curb insecurity in the continent, which has continued to pose a challenge to stakeholders. 

At Mauritania, the peace director said there was a need for collaboration in dealing with Al-Shabaab and ISIS groups, which are on the verge of destabilizing the continent, triggering development challenges in the process

“The security situations in the two regions continue to deteriorate, exacerbated by the governance challenges witnessed in some of the countries and the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan, creating a political and security vacuum and triggering the influx of foreign fighters and weapons,” he said.

Bah called for a multidimensional response approach, combining military action, police and law enforcement cooperation, and cross-border cooperation along with stabilization and reconstruction efforts towards a holistic response against the scourge.

Further, he expressed concerns that the criminals could infiltrate coastal countries and collaborate with transnational criminal groups, subsequently, causing havoc in the country. Human trafficking could also be a major challenge, he added.

“States must, therefore, focus on fully operationalizing maritime security architecture as an integral part of the African Peace and Security Architecture [APSA]. 

"This will contribute to fighting arms trafficking through the sea and cutting off sinister financial schemes sustaining terrorist and criminal networks through trafficking and smuggling,” he said.

Bah highlighted ongoing regional approaches that underlined the seriousness with which states are joining efforts to effectively combat, degrade, and defeat the terrorist and criminal groups operating in the region, AFP reports. 

GAROWE ONLINE