Windhoek — The Southern African Region has taken a bold step forward in the global fight against Terrorism, and recently the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting resolved to establish an anti-terrorist unit to be stationed in Harare.

For the first time, close to 40 senior government officials and experts from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and United Nations representatives came together in the fight against terrorism.

Namibia was selected to host the first-ever "United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)/SADC Counter-Terrorism Legal Capacity-Building Workshop."

Namibia was nominated at a security meeting which started in Windhoek yesterday.

Officially opening the workshop, the Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Gabes Shihepo, said the fight against terrorism is a global problem particularly when it concerns human security.

Shihepo stressed the growing danger of terrorism in the world because of mushrooming terrorist groups.

"Terrorism is today a dangerous and ethically indefensible phenomenon, which should be eradicated at all costs regardless of its deep origins, the economic and political factors that brought it to life and those responsible for such actions," said Shihepo.

He noted that, with the destruction, mass killing and frequent maiming of innocent people, governments cannot afford to just sit idle and watch but should rather do something about it.

Participants in the workshop were called upon to come up with ways and practical recommendations that would ultimately help the region and the world fight against terrorism.

The new Anti-Terrorist Unit at the Interpol Sub-Regional Bureau in Harare, Zimbabwe, aims at dealing with matters concerning the region through sharing information on terrorist organisations and groupings and to improve security measures at all ports of entry into the region.

Shihepo, however, reminded the workshop representatives that the "fight against terrorism should not be used as a tool to start unjustified wars which could unleash endless carnage on innocent people on behalf of justice and under the peculiar and bizarre name of infinite justice."

The Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Dr Jonathan Lucas, said terrorism is one of those global threats which needs a global response.

"Terrorism poses one of the major international security threats to mankind and, unfortunately, Africa has not been spared its devastating consequences. In fact, it has been one of the hardest hit continents on the planet," said Dr Lucas.

What makes this an ever-growing challenge is that terrorist motivations, financing, methods of attack and choice of targets are constantly changing. Therefore. a more effective strategy is needed to counter it through the exchange of best practices between SADC countries.

Experts will deal with the issue during the next few days and their conclusion will be included in the structures of the Anti-Terrorism Unit in Harare as well as the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy which was adopted in September this year.

The workshop, which ends on Thursday, brings together not only SADC government officials, but also representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre and its Executive Director (CTED), the Commonwealth Secretariat, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and International Police (Interpol).