Hon. Kone Aboubacar SIDIKI |
Pan African
Parliament’s Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict
Resolution has identifies terrorism and radicalization as major threats to the
African Continent and its people, noting that “extremist groups have perfected
the art of recruitment, facilitated by the use of cyber platforms and
structural vulnerabilities such as poverty, ethnic and religious diversity and various political ideologies”.
This is contained
in the Report of the Committee presented by the Chairperson, Hon. Kone Aboubacar SIDIKI on Thursday
at the ongoing Third Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Pan
African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa. Sidiki reported that extremist groups like Al-Shabaab are
reportedly using online recruitment platforms to spread radical propaganda to the general public in various languages
pointing out that the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa are the
most impacted with severe humanitarian and economic consequences. He said:
“The sophistication
of terrorist groups does not stop at their radicalization and recruitment
strategies. Over the years, these groups have evolved into well organized
parallel entities, providing services and in some cases, acting as the judge,
jury and executioner. They have diversified their sources of funding and in
some cases, such as the Islamic State Province in West Africa (ISWP) or
Al-Shabaab in Somalia, the groups levy taxes, collect revenue from illegal
checkpoints and trade with the locals to raise funds. Some groups, such as the
Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) are involved in the illegal selling
of gold and other minerals and most importantly, they are also determined to
have access to the Sea in order to continue to have access to trade routes”.
“The equipment used
by terrorists is also becoming more and more sophisticated. Their bomb making
skills have drastically improved and drone terrorism is now a reality we must
grapple with. The sophistication of the terrorist organizations is a clear
indication that our security-centred approach is not sufficient. A recent study
has indicated that our security efforts have been focused too much on
protecting the State and less on protecting populations. Combating the scourge
of extremism will demand an all-encompassing political engagement that takes
into account, the evolving global dynamics in support of our security effort”.
“The spiral of
inter-communal violence is becoming a challenge in various parts of Africa,
especially in the Sahel. The presence of Islamist groups in some parts of the
continent, climate change, weak state presence in some cases, impunity and lack
of development in remote areas has inflamed existing pastoral-sedentary farmer
tensions. Some countries in Africa have witnessed a significant spike in the
number of incidents of inter-communal violence this year. The inter-communal
violence between herders and farmers has become a complex issue particularly in
the Sahelo-Sahara region, Central Africa and the Horn and will require an
approach that is centered on human security. In Mali alone, hundreds of
civilians have been killed in inter-communal violence since the beginning of
2019, according to the United Nations”
Hon. Sidiki also reported that “political transitions
in African settings are generating complex challenges, thereby threatening
stability. Instead of becoming an opportunity for change, transitions have
become “moments of vulnerability and are always fraught with challenges”.
Elections related violence continues to be one of the main causes of conflict
noting that the competitive nature of elections around the continent has not
only claimed the lives of millions but
has also contributed to the loss of homes and destruction of property.
Concluding his presentation,
Hon. Sidiki acknowledged that while
progress is being made in certain areas and the conflicts in the continent are
reducing, Africa is far from achieving its set target of security and peace for
all citizens as set forth in Agenda 2063.
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