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Threat Posed by Sharp Rise in Terrorism in Africa Has Reached Tipping Point, AU Commissioner Says

14:35, 22 January 2025

Elizaveta Roschina

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With over 3,400 attacks and 13,900 fatalities across Africa in 2024 alone, rising terrorism threatens development, undermines governance, and jeopardizes the AU's Agenda 2063 and the UN's Agenda 2030, the AU commissioner pointed out.

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The threat posed by the sharp rise in terrorism in Africa has reached a tipping point and therefore requires active measures, the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, said in New York on Tuesday while addressing a UN Security Council ministerial meeting on "African-led and development-focused counter-terrorism: strengthening African leadership and implementation of counter-terrorism initiatives."

"The gravity of the threat caused by the exponential growth of terrorism in Africa is overwhelming and startling. […] We have reached a tipping point, and we must act together," the speaker noted.

According to the commissioner, the AU is responding with new frameworks, focusing on African leadership and building stronger capabilities. Key priorities include a new Continental Strategic Plan of Action to ensure that inter- and intra-regional counterterrorism is sustainable.

"A collaborative approach at the national and regional levels to address the use of new technologies and financing methods by terrorists and violent extremists. It is a topmost priority to address the resilience of these non-state actors. In this regard, a comprehensive study is ongoing towards robust measures to curb their continued access to funds," Adeoye also emphasized.

The speaker emphasized that both organizations need to refine their strategies to accelerate the achievement of the goals and aspirations outlined in their respective agendas. They noted that the African Union's Agenda 2063 is approximately 38 years away, while the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals are less than five years from their target date.

"The African Union and the United Nations […] should jointly support predictable, sustainable, and flexible funding for peace enforcement in counter-terrorism contexts," he said.

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