Uhuru & UN Secretary-General call for unified efforts against terrorism

President Uhuru Kenyatta and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday said proper funding and strong political will are crucial to Africa's counter-terrorism efforts.

Speaking at UN Complex in Gigiri, Nairobi, during the African Regional High-Level Conference on Counter-Terrorism and Prevention of Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism, Uhuru called for strong and practical proposals on how the African Union (AU) Peace and security structure can be strengthened to be more responsive to terrorism challenges facing the continent.

He advocated greater investment and reforms in the war against terrorism, saying that terrorist groups, and in particular Al Qaeda’s affiliates, splinter groups, and those it has inspired have an active presence in Africa.

“These groups take territory, disrupting the rule of law and enjoyment of freedoms, and in some cases even posing existential threats to the Nation-State. Groups like Al Shabaab and Boko Haram have started showing that they are a cancer that starts in one region of one country and steadily grows from there,” he said.

Terrorism targets

He said the entire continent was a target of terrorist groups warning that these groups were mutating rapidly.

“The most important immediate goal is to ensure Al Qaeda and ISIS affiliates and surrogates do not hold any territory in Africa. Holding territory is their single greatest source of financing, recruits, training grounds, and claims of legitimacy,” he said.

Gutteres said radicalisation, terrorism and conflict cannot be resolved through enforcement alone.

"For terrorism to be defeated, it is essential that African counter-terrorism is holistic, well-funded, underpinned by respect for human rights, and, most importantly, backed by strong political will," said Gutteres.