The economic damage inflicted by terrorists on Africa over the past decade amounted to $171 billion, stated Mohammed Arrouchi, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
He spoke on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, where a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council was taking place.
"The African continent has suffered economic losses amounting to $171 billion due to terrorism over the past decade," the diplomat said, as cited by the Maghreb Arabe Press news agency.
He asserted that the repercussions of foreign terrorist combatants seeking sanctuary on the continent have fallen solely on Africa.
"The activities of terrorist groups in Africa have devastating consequences, causing upheaval, mass displacement of populations, and leading to significant human casualties," he added.
The official continued, saying that terrorists operating in Africa are responsible for numerous violent attacks, kidnappings and terrorist acts aimed at imposing their extremist ideology.
Arrouchi noted that "Africa experiences a phenomenon rarely seen elsewhere—the connection and collaboration between terrorist groups, non-state armed groups, separatists, and rebels involved in transnational crime, which becomes increasingly dangerous due to the flow of illegal financial transactions and the proliferation of small arms."
Arrouchi also highlighted the need to "combat the various sources of financing for terrorist groups."