Experts At GSF Elucidate Major Trends In Tackling Terrorism

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Joel Johnson |The Peninsula

Doha: The African continent continues to grapple with rising terrorist attacks even in the 21st century. The high-risk areas such as the Central Sahel and West Africa encounter menacing conflict threats, eventually spreading into coastal West African states, according to delegates speaking at the Global Security Forum (GSF), yesterday, in Doha.

Delegates including Hon. Djibrill Bassolé, former Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso, Idriss Mounir Lalalli, Deputy Director of African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, Dr. Anneli Botha, Extraordinary Professor of Practice, North-West University and Ornella Moderan, Independent Researcher for the Sahel and West Africa, Global Initiative Expert Network addressed the challenges and issues pertaining the region.

The panellists highlighted the major trends impacting the continent like border security and immigration, great power dynamics, energy and resources, and adapting to the latest technology among others.

Hon. Djibrill Bassolé pointed out that the terrorist phenomenon is a concern in the central Sahel region.

He noted that there are three major issues in the pipeline such as 'who are the protagonists', 'where do they operate', and 'what are their motivation.'

“I will limit myself to sharing with you some education on this. Who are they and who are the fighters? Thousands of new Africans from communities like Songhai, the Bambara, from various social backgrounds, join with the hardest movement to justify the violence perpetrated against the speech and are convinced about the ideology and global connection of this movement,” he added.

“These motivations are related to the precarious living conditions in the marginalised regions and it should be noted that the context of conflicts in insecurity can lead communities or individuals to allow themselves with these movements,” Bassolé said.

Idriss Mounir Lalalli said,“Africa has been the battleground for many years and that's the starting point. So I would say this first and foremost - what are the traits we have seen something that I feel very passionate about is the fact that despite being involved in countering violent extremism, and terrorism for so many years, we don't see a decrease, but an increase.”

The official stressed that the apt strategy to deal with this issue is a military approach and also an engagement like this forum to find solutions.

Albeit implementing military approaches, the official underscored, the real reasons and underlying factors driving the socioeconomic issues are not addressed.

Dr. Anneli Botha mentioned that either the military or the law enforcement approach depends on the context. However, by nature the human power capacity stands firm in countries in terms of numbers.

“The challenges are linked to the capacities to deploy in vast territories which the military has and law enforcement doesn't necessarily have in most of the Sahel. If we take this help, for example, you will see that the threat is localised,” she said.

She underscored their mobility capacity and the weaponry used for law enforcement is not fit in many countries of the continent. Therefore, a“hard security approach” is embedded in the mindset of those who are fighting.

“We need to get closer to the communities to be able to first gain them to our cause, and make them go active. I would say actors in the process, but at the same time allow them to indicate their priorities and the solutions that they can bring to the table,” Dr. Botha said.

On the other hand, independent researcher, Ornella Moderan emphasised the emerging terrorist incidents in the region including violent attacks, kidnapping, which devastate economies.

“Trade disasters are worth mentioning as they are the ineffective provision of these services by the states or some of these groups. The fact is we know that there is a very strong connection with the crisis of pastoralism, and that's just eating more cattle, worsening the livelihood,” she added

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