DG Sowe and the NSA Adviser made this remarks during a high-level regional counter-terrorism meeting held in Abuja on 22 and 23 April 2024.
The convergence was organised by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in partnership with United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism under the auspices of the National Security Adviser of Nigeria.
“The Gambian delegations in its contributions reaffirmed their position that the fight against terrorism must be approached from a multidimensional perspective including addressing the root causes and drivers of terrorism such as poverty, unemployment, marginalization, political exclusion, injustice among others,” the two officials said.
The forum, they explained, was meant to brainstorm on how to address the evolving threat of terrorism in Africa with African-led and African owned solutions, noting that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the problem.
The meeting, according to them, was deemed timely to response to the worrying rate of terrorism across the continent particularly in the Sahel with countries like Burkina Faso being the most affected.
It was also recognised that the trend of the threat is gradually moving towards coastal countries which The Gambia is part of hence the interest and participation of The Gambia in the meeting.
Present at the meeting was also the ECOWAS President - His Excellency Dr Omar Touray, and Her Excellency Jainaba Jagne, the Gambian ambassador to Addis Ababa, who was also the chairperson of the AU Peace and Security Council for April.
The presence of these high-profile Gambians in the meeting, the Gambian delegation said, demonstrates the positive posture, relevance and contribution of The Gambia in the affairs and advancement of the region, particularly regarding a matter of immense importance like terrorism.
Overall, 32 African countries including the UN, EU, ECOWAS, AU, China, and the United States of America, as well as 20 civil society organizations among other representatives, converged for the two-day meeting, they said.
The guests of honour of the meeting, the delegation added, included the presidents of Ghana, Togo and Nigeria, who all delivered goodwill messages on the theme of the meeting: “Strengthening regional cooperation and institution building to address the evolving threat of terrorism in Africa”.
“During deliberations, it was underscored that the spread of terrorism and violent extremism is a growing threat to the peace, security and the stability of the continent derailing the progress towards the realization of the aspirations UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union 2063 Agenda to silence the guns respectively,” they said.
“The proliferation of weapons, transfer of funds, sharing of knowledge and movement of fighters across the continent were agreed to be key manifestations of the trans-regional nature of the threat.
“The targeted online radicalization of youth into terrorism and violent extremism through online gaming and social media platforms was also noted as an emerging concern requiring control of the cyber space and the optimal use of AI by governments.
“The meeting in light of these underlining challenges in addition to the prevailing socioeconomic and political instabilities of many of the countries resolved that the threat is at its highest levels requiring concerted efforts in all the counter responses including the respect for human rights and the prevention of illicit sale of arms by all member states and actors.
“According to the global terrorism index of 2023, Africa is now the epicenter of terrorism recording terrorist attacks more than any other continent in the world.
“Estimates have shown that in the first quarter of 2023 alone the continent suffered 2,122 terrorist attacks resulting in over 12,000 (mainly civilian) fatalities. These attacks are predominantly perpetrated by AL-Qaida affiliated groups that have been adeptly capitalizing on local grievances to spread and maximize impact.”
