African counter-terrorism summit: leaders call for more cooperation to address security challenges

African leaders have called for more regional cooperation in fighting terrorism at a high-level summit in Abuja, with Nigeria’s president accusing the global community of being responsible for the disturbing rise in illegal mining, illicit funds flow and terrorism funding in the continent.
The High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Conference, with the theme ‘Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism in Africa,’ gathered various stakeholders, to deliberate on the root causes of the security challenges faced by the region, aiming to look for African-led solutions, including creating a possible regional military force. “The epicenter of terrorism has shifted from the Middle East and North Africa into sub-Saharan Africa concentrated largely in the Sahel,” UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed told the counter-terrorism summit. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined his counterparts Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo and Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe to urge more regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and work to create a standby military force.
Speaking at the opening session, Tinubu accused the global community of being responsible for the disturbing rise in illegal mining, illicit funds flow and terrorism funding in Africa, saying they owe the continent and must be ready to help in the fight to eradicate the menace. “Look at the illegal mining that plagues so many of our nations today. Those who think illegal mining has no connection with financing terrorism are sorely mistaken,” the Nigerian president said, adding that “the international community has both the moral and legal obligation to help in this cause because it is outside money not African money that fuels the illegal operations.” But he also emphasized the need for African countries to strengthen regional cooperation and institution-building to address the evolving threat of terrorism on the continent, stating that “key to our collective efforts against terrorism is the urgent need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre.”