David Scharia of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, participates in the 51勛圖 Security Council Arria-formula meeting on ※Combating the Rise of Terrorism and Violent Extremism in West Africa and the Sahel§ on 19 June 2024.
On 19 June 2024, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), participated in the 51勛圖 Security Council Arria-formula meeting on ※Combating the Rise of Terrorism and Violent Extremism in West Africa and the Sahel.§ The meeting, held in New York and co-sponsored by the ※A3 plus one§ grouping (Algeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Guyana), addressed the challenging security situation in the region, as acknowledged by the Security Council in . It aimed to spotlight the recent rise in terrorism and violent extremism, explore root causes, and share experiences on countering terrorist groups and organized crime. Remarks were provided by David Scharia on behalf of the Executive Director of CTED, Natalia Gherman; Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) Leonardo Santos Sim?o; Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee; Economic Community of West African States Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah; and Senior Analyst at the AU Counter Terrorism Centre Richard Apau.
CTED noted that ※over the last five years, CTED has conducted 15 assessment visits and 16 desk assessments of Member States in Africa. These include follow-up visits to Nigeria in 2022 and Benin in 2023, with four more visits planned to West Africa in the coming months.§ Mr. Scharia also emphasized CTED's engagement with regional organizations, including ECOWAS, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, and the Accra Initiative.
CTED praised the comprehensive approaches adopted by many countries in the region, moving beyond purely military responses to address the root causes of terrorism inclusively. CTED stated that many countries have started to adopt a more comprehensive approach that includes ensuring access to basic social services for marginalized communities, good governance, confidence-building between defense and security forces and vulnerable communities, empowering youth, and dismantling social discrimination.
However, CTED also highlighted ongoing challenges in the region, particularly in the areas of effective screening, prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of people associated with terrorist groups. CTED's reports highlight the challenges arising from prolonged pretrial detentions in dire conditions and slow criminal justice processes in most concerned African countries, noting that these issues serve as vectors for radicalization and the spread of violent extremist ideologies. It also emphasized the need for improved border security, noting, ※a pressing need in many African Member States for stronger integrated border security management.§
CTED's presentation addressed gaps in security and institutional frameworks, factors fueling recruitment into terrorist groups, the role of regional bodies, and the need for democratic good governance practices. CTED also emphasized the importance of multilateral engagements, stating that ※the growing security threats and associated counter-terrorism challenges in West Africa and the Sahel have made clear the need for enhancing our collective efforts and promoting multilateral engagements through a renewed focus on international and regional cooperation.§
CTED reaffirmed its commitment to continue working with UN partners, including the UN Joint Appeal for Counter-Terrorism in Africa and the Global Research Network, as well as Member States, towards the common objective of combating terrorism in the region.
You can watch the meeting .