African Leaders Agree to Take Stronger Anti-Terrorism Measures at Security Summit in Nigeria

A recent security summit held in Nigeria saw African leaders come together to address the escalating threat of violent extremism across the continent. The summit, held in the Nigerian capital Abuja, brought to light the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to combat terrorism in Africa.

The discussions highlighted the increasing frequency of terror attacks, particularly in regions like the Sahel, Somalia, and Mozambique, perpetrated by groups affiliated with Islamic State and al Qaeda. Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe emphasised the severity of the situation, noting that even coastal states like Togo are not immune to these growing threats.

President Gnassingbe’s sentiments were echoed by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who stressed the importance of integrated security strategies in addressing the diverse threats posed by terrorist groups. He emphasised the need for collaboration among African nations to effectively tackle the root causes of terrorism.

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During the summit, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, who also chairs the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, advocated for the establishment of a regional standby military force to serve as a deterrent against large-scale terrorist operations. However, political instability in some Sahel nations has posed challenges to regional unity.

The summit, supported by the United Nations, also saw participation from the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. Faki stressed the importance of developing a comprehensive Continental Strategic Plan of Action to combat terrorism effectively and called on the international community to provide more support to Africa in its fight against terrorism.

President Tinubu highlighted the detrimental role played by illegal mining, illicit funds flow, and terrorism funding in exacerbating the security situation in Africa. He emphasised the need for international cooperation to address these challenges and underscored Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing its counter-terrorism capabilities.

In addition to advocating for regional cooperation and institution-building, President Tinubu called for the establishment of a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre and pressed the importance of halting the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) on the continent.

The summit concluded with a call for African leaders to work together to defeat terrorism and ensure peace and security on the continent. Concrete steps are expected to be outlined in a communiqué to address the evolving threat of terrorism in Africa.

The summit received support from various international organisations, including the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), whose Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, commended Nigeria for its leadership in counter-terrorism efforts.