Luanda - The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, defended, on Tuesday, at the United Nations, a multilateral and integrated approach as a strategic option for the effective fight against terrorism.
The Minister defended this position during the United Nations Security Council (SC) Open Debate on terrorism, led by Africa and focused on Development.
The approach aims to strengthen African leadership and implement Counter-Terrorism initiatives.
On the occasion, he stated that the Government of Angola monitors with great concern the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in various regions of the world.
This, according to the Minister, is because they compromise the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063.
Téte António added that terrorism is a major challenge to international peace and security, and represents one of the most dangerous existential threats for any country.
To mitigate its risks, he said it was essential to promote good governance, combat corruption, strengthen State institutions and establish early warning systems.
He also said that “today there is a consensus that terrorism represents a complex phenomenon that cuts across all regions of the planet, the most serious threat to world peace and security”.
For the Minister, it undermines the fundamental values and principles of the 21st century, including sustainable development, democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
He reiterated that Angola defends the relevance of implementing the decisions of the 16th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
This event, held at the proposal of President João Lourenço, analyzed the causes and adopted measures to prevent and combat these two scourges on the continent.
He recalled that, on the occasion, African leaders highlighted the need to combine efforts at regional and continental level to combat terrorism and extreme violence.
Among these, explained Téte António, is the materialization of the Action Plan for the Robust Combat of Terrorism, greater sharing of information and the strengthening and creation of integrated capabilities of the AU Combating Terrorism Center.
The Head of Angolan diplomacy argued that actions against terrorism must be supported with sustainable financial resources and technical and logistical support.
He highlights that these actions can be through increasing synergies between the UN and the AU, in particular in mobilizing funds within the scope of the implementation of Resolution 2719 on the financing of peace operations led by the continental organization.
He noted that the situation in Africa is particularly critical, according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index.
According to the Minister, the epicenter of terrorism has moved from the Middle East to the Central Sahel region, Sub-Saharan Africa, and is now responsible for more than half of all deaths caused by this scourge.
“Terrorist groups are operating with greater incidence in North Africa, Sahel, Central Africa, Horn of Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa, particularly in the Cabo Delgado region, in Mozambique.
As a result, he argued, they cause a high number of deaths, mutilations, displaced people and refugees and worsen the conditions of hunger, misery and poverty for thousands of citizens.
He highlighted, on the other hand, that terrorism tends to discourage private investment and encourage the emigration of young Africans to other parts of the world.
Téte António added that the phenomenon affects the economic and social development of the continent and the well-being prospects of its people.
Another concern of the Angolan Government, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is related to the use of conflict zones by terrorists, as is the case of the ADF, which operate in the East of DRC
He also said that the tendency for terrorist groups to migrate to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean has serious consequences, such as the worsening of maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Head of Angolan diplomacy pointed out the need to strengthen existing mechanisms, such as the Gulf of Guinea Commission, as well as the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, Cooperation of Atlantic African States and the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation.
In the end, he reiterated that the country condemns terrorism in all manifestations and defends the need to find adequate, sustainable and predictable financing solutions to sustain global and complementary efforts to combat terrorism.
He reinforced that the exchange of experiences resulting from this reflection could contribute to an environment conducive to an increase and reinforcement of cooperation between the United Nations, in particular its Security Council, the African Union and African regional organizations.
This cooperation could also extend to the modalities of diplomatic consultations and common actions in favor of preventing and combating the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism in Africa. SC/DOJ
