The Daily Observer (Banjul)
26 September 2007
Banjul — Only 11 July, Gambia joined more than a dozen West African nations at UN headquarters in New York to seek ways to fight terrorism.
According to UN announcement, the meeting was specifically intended for the West African nations to discuss "a more targeted and regional approach to building their ability to fight terrorism both within their borders and across the region."The West African nations were joined by some 20 donor and international organizations. Sponsored by the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee's Executive Directorate (CTEF), the meeting sought ways to put into practice the various UN and regional resolutions aimed at combating terrorism. These include Security Council Resolution 1373 and the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted by the General Assembly in September 2006.
Someone walking down a street in a West African city might ask: when the country has so many pressing needs, is it really a good use of the government's time and energy to work in New York on a problem that does not very much affect the average citizen of West Africa? Terrorism may be a big threat in New York or London, but just throw much of a threat is it here?
These are reasonable questions. After all, even the United Nations says the threat of terrorism in most West African nations is not high. But West African countries must take terrorism seriously and do all they can to fight it. The main problem, the United Nations reminds us, is the danger that terrorists and their supporters might exploit instabilities and weaknesses in West Africa to recruit and train members and to "fund, coordinate and launch attacks both within and beyond h region."
Those who might remain sceptical do not need to take the United Nation's word for it. The terrorists themselves have declared their intention to use Africa in this way. As recently as this February - and not for the first time - an article was circulated publicly among jihadists that laid out the importance of Africa for global jihad. Titled "Al-Qaeda Organization and the African Continent: Past, Present and Future," the article, according to one analyst, maintains that "the political and military conditions in most of the African countries, as well as the broad weakness of its governments and the internal fighting and corruption of these regimes, ease the ability of the Mujahadin to move, plan, and organise themselves, far from being seen."
In a news conference following the New York meeting, CTED's officer-in-charge, Sergey Karev, addressed this problem directly. Experience has shown the need for a regional approach, he said. States in certain regions or sub-regions have problems in common, "including, in West Africa's case, porous borders, training and drafting of legislation." The Security Council announcement on the meeting said: "Despite their commitment to combating terrorism, most nations in the region lack the technical and financial resources to fully implement either Resolution 1373 or regional directives and initiatives."
A regional approach is also more efficient, saving time and money and avoiding duplication. At the New York meeting, the West African states had an opportunity to exchange views on the problems they face and the areas in which they have shortfalls. For their part, the donor nations and international organisations - which, in addition to UN organisations, included such major organizations as the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the Group of Eight Counter - Terrorism Action Group - were able to assess how they might address these shortfalls. Also represented were major African regional groups, including the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorist financing in West Africa (GIABA) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In this regard, it is worth noting that the CTED meeting is not the only international forum in which The Gambia is an active participant. In June, for example, The Gambia played host to a series of important meetings of GIABA in Banjul.
Following the CTED meeting, officer-in-charge Karev announced that follow-up will occur along two tracks. First, CTED will prepare draft programmes for assistance to the West African states. The states, in turn, will remain in direct contact with donor states and technical assistance providers.
CTED essentially works as a middleman. It does not provide direct assistance, but rather facilitates it in partnership with the donor states and technical assistance providers. Technical assistance includes such things as helping to draft legislation, training law enforcement personnel, and providing equipment, mainly on a country-to-country level. Karev said the directorate's first mandate is to monitor security council resolutions and shortfalls. It then reaches agreement with the nation concerned on its technical assistance needs. Then it tries to match those needs with donors. Karev pointed out, however, this is done only after the nation gives its consent.
Obviously, judging by Karev's remarks, the CTED meeting was a first step. Much remains to be done by the West African nations and its partners. But if anyone asks whether The Gambia is an active participant in international community's fight against terrorism, this meeting can be sited as one example of why the answer, thankfully, is yes.
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