The Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the AU and the UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, who spoke during a videoconference meeting of the PSC devoted to the examination of the report of the AU Commission on the fight against terrorism on the continent, stressed that the activities of terrorist groups in Africa have devastating consequences, causing disruption, massive displacement of populations and considerable human losses.
The Moroccan diplomat added that these terrorist groups are responsible for numerous violent attacks, kidnappings and terrorist acts aimed at imposing their extremist ideology.
The continent has suffered an economic loss of 171 billion dollars due to terrorism over the last decade, lamented Mr. Arrouchi, noting that Africa had to bear alone the consequences of the movements of foreign terrorist fighters who found refuge on the continent.
On the African continent, the Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the AU and the UNECA stressed that there is the observation of a phenomenon, which rarely occurs elsewhere, which is the link and the collaboration, in particular between terrorist groups, non-state armed groups, separatists and insurgents and involved in transnational crime which are becoming increasingly dangerous through the circulation of illicit financial flows and the spread of light and small arms and which is further confirmed with the involvement of different actors, including state actors.
The Moroccan diplomat insisted on the need to rigorously combat the said phenomenon, because collusion against the sovereignty and stability of States creates an objective alliance between these harmful groups, endangering peace and stability in Africa.
To combat terrorism, ensure stability, and protect civilian populations against attacks by terrorist groups, it is also important to fight against the various sources of financing of terrorist groups, in particular extortion of local populations in the areas they control, kidnapping for ransom, trade and illegal activities such as trafficking in psychotropic substances, smuggling and arms trade, by these terrorist groups and sympathizers sharing extremist ideologies that threaten stability and development in the Continent, he recalled.
The fight against terrorism and organized crime remains a precondition for the consolidation of peace, security and political stability. To do this, we must address the deterioration of the socio-economic and humanitarian situation in Africa, particularly in the refugee camps where such a situation favors the emergence of fanaticized and radicalized young people, given that it contributes to the spread of violent extremism among these young people lacking future prospects, he said.
The Moroccan diplomat reiterated the importance of adopting a multidimensional approach to achieve lasting peace, stability and development, the relevance of which lies in the particular interest it gives to all structural and fundamental root causes, possible drivers and factors that facilitate radicalization, violent extremism and terrorism.
In this sense, the Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the AU and the UNECA recalled that as part of the Kingdom’s efforts in matters of peace and security, Morocco hosted the Inaugural Conference in October 2022. on “Promoting the links between peace, security and development”, with the aim of addressing the growing challenges facing African economies and which weigh heavily on their security and stability, particularly countries emerging from conflicts and those in political transition .
The adoption of the Tangier Declaration by the AU PSC is a recognition of the relevance of the multidimensional approach, and constitutes a roadmap for the effective implementation of the Tangier process through the development of “Nexus Projects” in the five regions of the continent, thus addressing the structural causes of radicalization, violent extremism and terrorism, and related challenges, he concluded.