“The West Africa and Sahel region is now becoming the epicenter of terrorists’ activities with devastating consequences affecting our collective peace and security resulting in escalating violence, cross border insecurity and spillovers, rising humanitarian challenges, food insecurity crisis, and palpable public discontent,” he said yesterday during the opening of a two days convergence of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA).
The forum, held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center was attended by the Vice President, the West Africa Intelligence chiefs, the Chief of General Intelligence for the Presidency of the Holy Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, cabinet ministers, civil society, politicians and religious leaders.
The theme for this year convergence is: ‘Amid regional volatilities, the needs to close capacity gaps and enhance coordination to effectively counter terrorism in West Africa and Sahel Region’.
“To take on the challenges in the areas of needs, capacity gaps geographical challenges, it is instructive that training, logistics and extra budgets are allocated by governments, regional, continental and international institutions in the form of both the hard and soft wherewithal to the military, security and intelligence services to effectively combat the menace of terrorism in the region,” he posited.
At the national level, he said, “we must continue to bolster our national security responsibilities on the premise that security is everyone’s business and in this we adopt strategy that encourages whole society whole government approach involving political, religious, civil society groups as well as other relevant national stakeholders in finding solutions to addressing the challenges of terrorism and violent extremism.”
“That said, there is imperative to also pay attention to other existing and emerging threats such as cyber insecurity, food insecurity, fake pharmaceuticals, illegal migration and unemployment amongst others.”
The issue of terrorism before us today, DG Sowe went on, are increasing. “The scourge of which seeks to destroy, fragment and break-down societies along with the concepts of nation-state. These objectives are pursued by extremists for the sake of promoting extremist ideology, which preaches hatred for the other, obstructs everything geared towards pushing humanity forward, and disrupts all investments geared toward achieving the aspired development and prosperity.”
