Pakistan called for intensifying efforts to resolve long festering conflicts and crises in Africa that spawn terrorism and to prevent the continent from becoming an "epicentre" of the scourge. "Africa is the new frontier for international terrorism and rightly deserves enhanced attention of the international community," Ambassador Masood Khan told the UN Security Council on Monday.
Speaking in a high-level debate on combating terrorism across Africa, the Pakistani envoy said that terrorist groups are hampering United Nations-African Union and peace-keeping missions. The terrorist threat in Africa, he said, conflated political, religious and ideological extremism with organised crime, while historical and cultural differences obstructed efforts to fight the scourge. Many African countries and regions risked becoming more destabilised and disintegrated, Masood Khan said, adding the continent could become a ground for terrorist recruitment, training and funding.
While the causes of terrorism in Africa varied, common factors included poverty, unresolved disputes, marginalization and a lack of economic options. He said that the strategy to address terrorism in Africa should focus building the capacity of criminal justice systems at all levels. Regional and sub-regional co-operation must be strengthened, while the United Nations and the African Union should develop an early-warning mechanism as a preventive measure. Creating educational and economic opportunities, especially for young people, should be part of a broader international agenda for involvement, the Pakistani envoy said.
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