Above, the President of Kenya, the President of Nigeria and the Commissioner of Peace and Security of the African Union Commission.
Dear Colleagues,
Greetings of peace from URI Africa. I would like to inform you that I recently represented URI at the African Union Peace and Security Council Special Summit, a meeting to curb terrorism and violent extremism in Africa.
The summit took place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya on September 2, 2014. Choosing Nairobi as the venue of this meeting was a significant expression of the African Union (AU)’s solidarity with the Kenyan people as they confront the rising terrorist threat of Al-Shabaab.
The summit was held in order to discuss coordination between countries to improve security and to combat terrorism and to agree on practical steps to enhance the implementation of the AU counter-terrorism framework at national, regional and continental levels.
Terrorism continues to be one of the most serious threats to peace and security in Africa. The continent has and continues to pay a heavy toll for these outrageous criminal acts, which have resulted in mass causalities, destruction of infrastructure, loss of livelihoods and displacements. Terrorist groups are becoming increasingly bold in their activities and attacks. The mass kidnapping of over 200 young girls from a school in Borno State, in Northern Nigeria, by Boko Haram is a further illustration of the magnitude of the challenges at hand.
The terrorist threat in Africa has been shaped by activities in North, West, East and Central Africa, mainly led by the following terrorist organizations: Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Movement for the Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) in North and West Africa, Boko Haram and Ansaru in Nigeria and Cameroon, Al-Shabaab in East Africa and the LRA in Central Africa. Mention should be made of the recent emergence of the Ansar Al-Sharia groups in some countries in the North Africa region.
It is with these terrorist groups in mind that the summit was organized in order to curb terrorism and violent extremism. URI Africa recognizes with great appreciation the effort of the African Union Peace and Security Council for organizing this timely summit on terrorism and violent Extremism.
URI Africa also greatly appreciates the effort of the African Union in developing a comprehensive and robust counter terrorism framework.
URI Africa expresses its deep concern over the continued terrorism threat in Africa, particularly in the Sahelo-Saharan region and the Horn of Africa, including Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti, the Central African region as well as the atrocities perpetuated by Boko Haram in Nigeria. URI Africa also expresses its concern regarding the conflicts and crises affecting Libya, South Sudan and the Northern part of Mali.
As interfaith organization with 137 member organizations in over 28 African Countries, URI Africa welcomes the establishment of the African Centre on the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) and kindly asks ACSRT to provide a training opportunity for URI member organizations in Africa as they are working at grassroots level on the prevention of violent extremism on a daily basis.
URI Africa strongly supports and welcomes the appointment of Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira from Mozambique as Special Representative in charge of Counter?Terrorism Cooperation and, concurrently, Director of the ACSRT by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. URI Africa is also looking forward to working very closely as a partner organization with the African Union to end religiously motivated violence by enhancing the African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum.
URI Africa welcomed the on-going AU’s efforts to address the scourge of terrorism, notably through the cooperative mechanisms being implemented by the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), the Nouakchott Process on the Enhancement of Security Cooperation and the Operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) in the Sahelo- Saharan region, the Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord’s Resistance Army (RCI-LRA) and the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
In view of the seriousness of the threat posed by terrorism in Africa, URI Africa would like to join hands with the African Union in stressing the urgency of renewed efforts towards the effective implementation of the AU counter terrorism framework, including the signing and ratification of the relevant instruments, notably the 1999 Algiers Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism and its 2004 Protocol.
As countering radicalization and violent extremism requires the development of sound national policies and programmes, URI Africa calls on Member States of the African Union to adopt counter-radicalization and de?radicalization policies and programmes that include engaging and working with the media, civil society organizations, interfaith organizations—notably community leaders, religious authorities and women and youth associations.
In order to counter radicalization and violent extremism and to reduce vulnerability to extremist ideology, URI Africa also strongly believes that it is important to address issues such as poverty, deprivation and marginalization, issues that provide a breeding ground to terrorism. In addition, particular attention needs to be paid to the education and youth employment as well.
On the occasion of this summit, URI Africa condemns all acts of terrorism committed on the continent by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes, as terrorism and violent extremism cannot be justified under any circumstances. Terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or group.
URI Africa acknowledges the contribution of Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) in particular the provision of counter terrorism early warning and welcomes the recommendations of the 11th Ordinary Session of the CISSA Conference on the theme: Enhancing Intelligence Cooperation and Coordination to Address Radicalization and Extremism in Africa.
URI Africa acknowledges the generous contribution of the sum of 10 million USD made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in support of the African Union’s efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism. URI Africa calls upon the African Union to work more closely with interfaith organizations in Africa in allocating resource and training in capacity building to address the issue of violent extremism.
URI Africa encourages Member States to develop comprehensive national counter terrorism strategies covering prevention, response and reconstruction. URI Africa also kindly requests member states of the African Union to implement fully the African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum to encourage inter-religious and inter-cultural constructive dialogue for peaceful co-existence.
As stated by Karen Armstrong of the Charter for Compassion, we need urgently to make the compassionate voice of religion and of all morality sing out loud and clear in our dangerously polarized world in order to challenge the voices of hatred, exclusion, chauvinism and extremism. One practical action is to adhere to the Golden Rule that states “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
In peace and gratitude,
Mussie Hailu
Regional Coordinator, URI Africa and Representative of URI to the African Union
