Look at how many of our countries, are currently impacted by unlawful mining. According to Tinubu attributes, “those who believe that financing terrorism has nothing to do with illegal mining are gravely mistaken.”
He delivered a speech on Monday at the African High-Level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Abuja.
Tinubu attributes
The two-day summit was attended by ministerial and national security adviser representatives of around thirty-two African Member States.
Heads of international organizations, entities of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, African regional organizations, and civil society partners are among the other participants.
According to the president of Nigeria, breaking up the terrorists’ financial network will require international cooperation.
To successfully track down and stop terrorism Regarding funding, Tinubu stated that “it is external finance, not African money, that fuels these illegal operations,” meaning that the international community has a “moral and legal obligation” to assist.
He continued, “We will be pounding on the doors of the global community to respond to this cry for justice, peace, and fair play.
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In order to lessen the operations of terrorists in Africa’s most unstable areas, Tinubu also advocated for the establishment of a counterterrorism center and a regional standby force.
According to him, the counterterrorism center will serve as an African-wide center for intelligence exchange, operational coordination, and capacity building.
The Nigerian president listed unlawful mining and ransomware as “evil branches” that feed off “root causes” including poverty, inequality, and social injustice, all of which help to fund, resupply, and re-equip terrorist networks throughout the continent.
“The urgent need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Center is key to our collective efforts against terrorism,” Tinubu stated to
“A (regional) force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism, capable of bolstering the security of our region and responding swiftly to major threats,” the speaker contended.
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In a statement headed “President Tinubu calls for a regional counter-terrorism center, says Africa must address poverty and social injustice,” Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity Ajuri Ngelale disclosed Tinubu’s stance.
Tinubu’s remarks come in response to the growing ingenuity of terrorist networks and those who support them throughout Africa, particularly the Sahel.
The African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism disclosed in its quarterly Africa Terrorism Report for Q1 2023 that Da’esh, Al-Qaeda, and its Affiliates have escalated their assaults throughout the continent by taking advantage of unrest and strife resulting from regional tensions.
Africa saw 2,122 terrorist incidents in the first three quarters of 2023, which led to nearly 12,000 fatalities—mostly civilians.
The most well-known of these are the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, which operates in the Sahel; the Islamic State West Africa Province, which operates in the Lake Chad Basin; and Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda and has gradually expanded its territory towards the Gulf of Guinea.
According to President Tinubu, Africa must thus adopt a comprehensive strategy to fight terrorism that addresses the disease’s underlying roots in addition to using force.
It abducts not just individuals but also valuable resources. Many, many billions of millions that rightful governments ought to be employing to build better communities by giving their citizens access to food, medicine, and education instead go toward funding armaments and responding to chaos.
Fortify current counterterrorism institutions, including the Committee of Intelligence, the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism in Algiers, and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit in Abuja.” and Security Services of Africa in Addis Ababa,” Tinubu requested of African heads of state and government.
His statement, “It must not be abandoned,” emphasized the significance of a regional standby force that has combating terrorism as part of its duty.
“I am aware of the logistical, legal, and financial challenges associated with the appropriate formation of such a force.”But with a cautious and unambiguous With a well-defined mandate that adheres to global legal norms and upholds national autonomy, this force can function as an expedient deployment mechanism, equipped to promptly address significant threats and reinforce regional security.
Such a force can be a powerful disincentive to long-term and large terrorist operations as well as to the takeover, occupation, or disturbance of important land and resources. In order to achieve this aim, we must keep moving cautiously but meaningfully forward,” stated Tinubu.
As stated in the Declaration of the 16th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly in May 2022, he also supported the creation of an inclusive Ministerial Committee on Counter-Terrorism within the African Union, referring to it as a “high priority.”
This will guarantee that a forum comprising senior government officials convenes on a regular basis to evaluate our counterterrorism initiatives and offer suggestions for future improvements,” the President stated.
He declared that by passing the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act and creating the National Counter Terrorism Center, Nigeria is strengthening its counterterrorism capabilities and rising to the task of defeating the threat.
In order to greatly improve the nation’s ability to identify, stop, and respond to terrorist threats, he clarified that the NCTC is “dedicated to coordinating and implementing counter-terrorism strategies.”
The center has developed into a venue that fosters better communication between concerned parties and forges connections within our counterterrorism plan.
Likewise, even in the face of significant personal danger, our security personnel never cease to amaze us with their bravery and commitment to combating terrorism. I appreciate all of these patriotic people’s unselfish efforts and sacrifices. both genders. He praised them, saying they were the best of the best.
By stating, “No one state can solve this problem for itself,” Tinubu further emphasized the necessity of stopping the spread of small arms and light weapons throughout the continent. We must all take consistent, coordinated action to address it.
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He therefore urged African states to realign their regional organizations and strengthen the capabilities of their domestic institutions in order to effectively combat this aspect of terrorism and violent extremism.
The President called for firm and prompt action against the ongoing insecurity on the continent and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to collaborating with regional partners to fortify arms control measures, improve border security, and disrupt the illegal trafficking networks that support terrorism and organized crime.
In his greeting In his remarks, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu enumerated the causes of terrorism in Africa, including organized crime, foreign funding and training of terrorists, poverty, inequality, and protracted conflicts.
According to Ribadu, Nigeria is improving intelligence gathering through improved inter-agency collaboration and confidence building with citizens, while simultaneously dealing decisively with all drivers of violent extremism, including social and economic enablers.
He stated that Nigeria has set aside a budget to support counterterrorism activities and was fortifying its court to handle terrorism-related matters efficiently.
The National Security Adviser declared, “We have resumed the prosecution of Boko Haram suspects across the country.”
During her speech, Ms. Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, advocated for Africa to restore its social compact with its people and provide effective government.
She believed that doing this would “remove the engenderers of terrorism on the continent.” is
“Recovery requires the social contract to be rebuilt.
We must give consideration to women and girls who have been significantly impacted by terrorism, including the youth, declared the UN Deputy Secretary-General.Support and healing must be given to individuals affected by terrorism.
Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office on Counter-Terrorism, praised Nigeria for organizing the meeting and for taking the lead in the fight against terrorism in Africa.
Terrorism poses a threat to peace and security, particularly in Africa where its impacts are most apparent. According to Voronkov, UNOCT’s ability to succeed in Africa depends on its backing of initiatives and solutions led by the continent.
The meeting is based on the conversations that took place at the Ministerial conference of African nations participated in the meeting that was held on September 21, 2023, in conjunction with the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly and co-organized by the federal government of Nigeria and UNOCT.
