Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed's remarks to the Security Council open debate on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Countering Terrorism in Africa", in New York today:
Africa has tragically remained the epicentre of global terrorism. In all its forms and manifestations, terrorism is the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the continent today.
For this reason, I would like to begin by commending the Algerian presidency for focusing today's discussions on the nexus of security, development and human rights-based policies in African counter-terrorism efforts.
I want to acknowledge and commend the dedication and the sacrifices of the Member States on the front lines of counter-terrorism efforts - your commitment to protecting civilians, upholding human rights, and fostering resilience in affected communities is integral to our collective pursuit of lasting peace.
Let me first present a stock-take of where we find ourselves.
Despite continued counter-terrorism efforts by Member States, Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for nearly 59 per cent of all terrorism related deaths globally.
The Sahel is ground zero for one of the world's most brutal crises. For three straight years, terrorism-related deaths have soared past 6,000, making up more than half of all global fatalities. In this deadly surge, Burkina Faso is now leading the world in terrorism deaths with a staggering 68 per cent increase, and with little support to help reverse this trend.
Al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates have spread their deadly tentacles to West Africa's coastal countries, with violent attacks soaring by more than 250 per cent in just two years. The statistics tell a chilling story, but recent attacks bring the horrifying reality into sharp focus.
On 8 January this year, Benin endured its deadliest attack since 2021, near its borders with Burkina Faso and Niger. The assault, claimed by JNIM [Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin], claimed the lives of at least 28 Beninese soldiers. Just days earlier, on 4 January, extremists launched a brutal attack on a military base in Sabon Gida, Damboa, Nigeria, leaving six soldiers dead. These attacks are a grim reminder that the violence continues to escalate with deadly force.
Meanwhile, a little-known group as "Lakurawa" is conducting cross-border attacks in north-west Nigeria, Niger and Chad. There are also growing risks of infiltration and radicalization along Ghana's northern regions, as well as in Togo, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria.
In other parts of Africa, terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, the Allied Democratic Forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama in Mozambique continue to unleash horrific violence. They are not only terrorizing communities but also inflicting unspeakable acts of sexual and gender-based violence, assaulting children and forcibly recruiting them into their ranks.
Let us make no mistake. At this rate, West Africa's future hangs in the balance. The marginalization of youth, coupled with soaring unemployment, has left an entire generation vulnerable to extremist groups. If we don't act, we risk losing this generation to the horrors of terrorism, their futures stolen before they even have a chance to begin.
The impact on women and families is particularly devastating. Terrorists frequently exploit and brutalize women through sexual and gender-based violence, including forced marriages and abductions, causing profound trauma that reverberates through entire communities. Families are displaced, livelihoods are destroyed, and the social fabric necessary for resilience and recovery is torn apart.
Most terrifyingly, the tactics of these groups are evolving at a rapid and alarming pace. Terrorist networks are now pooling resources - finances, fighters, and expertise - while sharpening their capabilities with new technologies, including unmanned aerial systems.
This bleak picture I have just painted is a reminder of the complexity of this threat. As terrorism evolves, so must we.
Countering terrorism must continue to innovate with an approach that holds the respect for human rights and the rule of law at its core.
And an outcome that addresses the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism.
African Member States, with the full backing of the international community, must forge cohesive and conducted responses grounded in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and aligned with the guiding principles of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
The Pact for the Future, agreed last September by Member States, gives a renewed momentum to global efforts against terrorism. The Pact - along with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations - commit to building a world free of terrorism, online and offline. It reaffirms the commitment of Member States to building the capacity of States to prevent and combat terrorism and strengthen the role of the United Nations system.
Now is the time to meet these unmet commitments and to implement the promises made in the Pact with determined action. Three areas should be prioritized.
First, we need to continue to address the drivers of terrorism.
Terrorism thrives on fragility and feeds off poverty, inequality and disillusionment. When financing development regresses, when fragile institutions are matched with weak governance, when women and youth are excluded from decision-making, when public services are scarce or unequal, these conditions create fertile ground for radicalization and recruitment.
When it comes to organized crime specifically, terrorist networks have a ready source of youth financing, weaponry and logistical support.
Building inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies must be our goal. And we have a road map to get there: the 2030 Agenda, and Agenda 2063 for Africa. We need to implement them.
Second, we need human rights-based approaches to counter-terrorism, grounded in accountable and inclusive institutions.
Too often counter-terrorism measures result in avoidable human rights violations. This will put countries on a fragile path risking further instability and insecurity and erode confidence in State institutions.
Investing in robust local security institutions is critical to sustain peace and stability. We must equip law enforcement and judicial bodies with the training, resources, and accountability frameworks, necessary to confront terrorism effectively, while safeguarding human rights.
Counter-terrorism responses need to be fully inclusive, involving civil society, including women, young people, minorities and marginalized groups.
Third, regional cooperation is the linchpin of any effective counter-terrorism strategy. Fragmenting our efforts only plays into the hands of the perpetrators.
Fragmenting our counter-terrorism efforts only serves the perpetrators. As terrorists thrive by exploiting and sowing divisions, our responses must be united, coherent and urgent - focused on fostering dialogue, trust and coordinated action.
The African Union and its Counter-Terrorism Centre have a leading role to play, but we must go further. Regional initiatives across Africa have a critical role to play. These include the support to the African Union and Regional Economic Communities, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, as well as the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Standby Force must also be strengthened to act now. The Accra Initiative should be fully operationalized to tackle cross-border issues and prevent youth radicalization. And in West Africa and the Sahel, existing frameworks must be prioritized.
Above all, we must ensure that regional efforts are in lockstep, unified in purpose, and aligned in strategy. This is the only way we believe that we can ensure facing down the threat of terrorism together.
Ultimately, African-led and African-owned solutions must take the lead in tackling terrorism across the continent. The High-level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting organized by the Government of Nigeria in April 2024 reinforced and amplified this message.
The joint African Union-UN Road Map endorsed in October and the adoption of resolution 2767 (2024) are important milestones building on the commitments to support African Union counter-terrorism efforts in Somalia and in the region.
Commitments alone are not enough - adequate resources must be in place, and so I am pleased that Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) responds to the longstanding call from African Member States for adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for African Union-led peace support operations.
We must remain vigilant to the constantly changing nature of terrorism and continuously rethink our approaches - both on how we work and how we work together.
Our efforts must be coordinated, they must be intentional and context-specific, and above all, centred on prevention.
The Security Council has a critical role in supporting African Union counter-terrorism initiatives, grounded in African leadership and solutions.
Together, let us commit to eradicating terrorism, both in Africa and across the globe.
Our shared responsibility is clear: to secure a future free from the scourge of terrorism, a future where peace, prosperity, and most importantly human dignity are within reach for all.
