Kenya urges African states to forge common stand on terror
Kenya's Foreign Affairs cabinet secretary Amina Mohamed. PHOTO | FILE
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea,
Kenya has called on African countries to join hands to stem the rising tide of terrorism in the continent.
Foreign Affairs secretary Amina Mohamed said African governments must start to share intelligence information and stem the growth of rebel groups within their jurisdictions by ensuring their supply of arms is effectively stopped.
She also said each government must start setting aside resources to fight the scourge.
The cabinet secretary was speaking on the sidelines of the 25th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union currently underway in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
The Executive Council session will be followed by the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union summit, which is the top organ of heads of state and government.
“It is not enough to just condemn without following it with actions aimed at stemming terrorism wherever it may be found. A lot more commitment is needed especially resources to fight it,” said Ms Mohamed.
COMMON APPROACH
Ms Mohamed said Kenya had borne the brunt of terror meted against its citizens and will henceforth push for Africa states to take a common approach in addressing the menace.
“The countries of Africa have to come together on this matter. There is no way an individual country can single-handedly win the war on terror. We must start to ask some hard question: Where are these people getting support from.
"Kenya, for example, does not manufacture or sell arms. Where are these people getting these things? These are questions that must be addressed in a concerted manner if we are to deal with the root course of terror,” said Ms Mohamed.
During the opening session, the Africa Union's chairperson Nkososana Dlamini Zuma condemned acts of terror that have occurred in Kenya, Nigeria and Somalia.
"We strongly condemn acts of terrorism in Kenya, Nigeria and Libya. The abduction of young school girls in Nigeria by armed militants should be a wakeup call on the need to strengthen vigilance," Dlamini-Zuma remarked.
