President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday urged other African leaders to unite in their action against the rising threat of terrorists and stop the continued massacre of innocent people across the continent.
The President spoke at the opening ceremony of the 455th African Union Peace and Security Council meeting, at the level of Heads of State and Government, with the theme “terrorism and violent extremism in Africa” held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi, Kenya.
Jonathan commended the AU member countries and the Commission for the commitment and efforts, so far put in place to tackle insurgency, insisting however, that a lot of work needed to be done.
“While both member states and the Commission deserve to be commended for their commitment and efforts, nonetheless, much remains to be done. The atrocities that continue to be committed by the terrorist groups active in the Sahelo- Saharan region, Boko Haram, the LRA, Al- Shabaab and other terrorist groups, bear testimony to the long road ahead of us.
“The first (solution) relates to the need for enhanced cooperation among member states and between the continent and the rest of the international community.
“Indeed the problem we are confronting is global in nature. Terrorists and organized crime syndicates operate in networks that can only be defeated through concerted action and cooperation. The African Union and its various instruments and mechanisms provide the framework within which we should combine our efforts and pull together our scarce resources.
“The second point pertains to the need for action- oriented approach. We are now well equipped in terms of legal, political and normative instruments. The tasks ahead of us is to ensure their effective implementation. The countries concerned should take the steps required to become parties to the relevant African and international instruments. We should as member states fulfill our commitments and obligations, particularly with respect to legal measures, border control, exchange of intelligence and other related measures,” he said.
President Jonathan also identified social issues like poverty and unemployment as responsible for creating the conducive environment for terrorism to breed, calling on leaders to address them squarely.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the Council, Idriss Debby of Chad assured that the Council would leave no stone unturned in the fight against terror while host President, Uhuru Kenyatta called on African leaders to provide the funds needed to fight terrorism to complement the support coming from outside the continent.
The Summit is expected to adopt the recommendations of the African Union Commission Chairperson on violent extremism and terrorism in Africa.
