Strategy and stability are key to containing Africa’s ‘wildfire of terrorism’
In the middle of the two-week long African Lion war games which brought together American, African and European troops, the head of the US Africa Command painted an alarming picture of the security situation in the band stretching from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, dubbing it a “wildfire of terrorism”.
Africa File: Terrorism’s rising cost in Africa
The economic cost of terrorism in Africa has skyrocketed in the past decade. Money that could be generating economic expansion and better lives for millions of people is being destroyed by insurgencies and hoarded by Salafi-jihadi groups, some with global goals. The most striking recent case is that of Mozambique, where an Islamic State–linked insurgency disrupted a multibillion-dollar natural gas project that was meant to underwrite decades of economic growth. Salafi-jihadi groups are depriving communities of resources across several African regions. For example, al Shabaab’s tax revenues rival those of Somalia’s national government.
Stop using military for internal Security – CHRI to gov’t
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative(CHRI) Africa has called on the government to cease immersing the military in internal security operations which could be handled by the Police
Eswatini: Respect Rights While Policing Protests
(Johannesburg) – Eswatini authorities should ensure that security forces deployed in the wake of protests respect citizens’ rights and observe international standards of law enforcement, Human Rights Watch said today.
UN Decries Continued Violent Extremism in Lake Chad Region
The United Nations has stated that despite efforts made to address violent extremism and root causes of conflicts in the Lake Chad region, the problem has continued to persist, blocking progress in the region
Africa: CAF Takes Part in UN Counter Terrorism Programme
Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) participated on Tuesday (29 June 2021) in the “Securing of vulnerable targets from terrorist attacks: Challenges and opportunities of major sporting event security management” programme, a part of the second Counter-Terrorism week organized by United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).
Investing in conflict prevention to foster peace in Ghana
But new threats including violent extremism, particularly in the Sahel and the West African sub-region pose grave threats to Ghana’s democratic governance, social cohesion, and peaceful co-existence. These threats coupled with recent trends of crimes, conflicts and violence have necessitated the development of a national framework for preventing/countering violent extremism and terrorism in Ghana. The framework prioritized prevention as the optimal and preferred option to address the threats of violent-extremism and its implication for civil order and peacebuilding in the country.
Cabo Delgado terrorists abduct boys and girls
A Catholic priest in Mozambique has denounced the abduction of “hundreds” of children by jihadists in the country’s northernmost province of Cabo Delgado. Fr Kwiriwi Fonseca of the diocese of Pemba in northern Mozambique told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International that he estimates that in addition to more than 2,500 people killed and more than 750,000 made homeless since the terrorist attacks began in October 2017 in the region, a large number of people have also been abducted, most of them young boys and girls.
Insurgency: There’s Need to Immunize People From Manipulations of Extremists, Says UN
The United Nations has said that there is a need to shield people especially the young population from manipulations of violent extremists across the Lake Chad region. The director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at the regional office for Central Africa, Salah Khaled, said the problem of insurgency across the Lake Chad region has continued to persist despite efforts made by the UN and various agencies
Swaziland: ‘Swaziland Military Kill At Least 19 People During Prodemocracy Protests,’ Campaigners Report
As many as 19 people have reportedly been killed during the prodemocracy protests in Swaziland (eSwatini). The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) reported five people had been certified dead at the Mbabane Government Hospital in the Swazi capital. In a statement on Wednesday (30 June 2021) it said more than 50 people had been admitted to the hospital with gunshot wounds.