Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - africa

CTED conducts regional high-level visit to four Lake Chad Basin States

BMUSONI — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 10:18:00 +0000

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The visiting delegation in a meeting with H.E. Prime Minister of Niger Brigi Rafini (in white).

The UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), accompanied by the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), conducted a regional high-level visit to the four States of the Lake Chad Basin from 13 to 17 February 2017. The main objectives of the visit were to discuss current threats; listen to the concerns of the Governments of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; identify shared challenges; discuss how the international community could support their national and regional counter-terrorism efforts; and discuss regional counter-terrorism cooperation.

The delegation met with high-level officials of the four States, as well as with representatives of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and its Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF). Members of the delegation included Executive Director Jean-Paul Laborde of CTED, as well as the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) Mohamed Ibn Chambas and Central Africa (UNOCA) François Loncény Fall (Acting SRSG), respectively.

Even though Boko Haram has suffered significant military setbacks at the hands of the MNJTF, it has been able to adapt its operations and remains a potent force. During December 2016 and January 2017, it carried out 128 attacks, resulting in the deaths of 139 civilians. In Nigeria, where it remains most active, it continues to be subject to significant air and ground military pressure, particularly in Borno State. The humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad Basin region remains a serious concern, with a growing number of people suffering from food insecurity.

In accordance with Security Council resolution 2178 (2014), the Committee has been working closely with Member States to identity challenges relating to foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs). One of the main concerns for States is to determine how to deal with returning FTFs, including how to develop and implement prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategies for returning foreign terrorist fighters. The Counter-Terrorism Committee’s Madrid Guiding Principles address some of the main questions and issues involved, and CTED continues to assist the four Lake Chad Basin States and other Member States to translate these principles into practice.

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Under pressure militarily, Da’esh encourages sympathizers outside conflict zones to perpetrate attacks, according to new report from the UN Secretary-General

BMUSONI — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 20:02:00 +0000

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Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefs the Security Council meeting on Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts Fourth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat

As ISIL is militarily on the defensive in several regions, the terrorist organization that is also known as Da’esh continues to encourage its sympathizers outside conflict zones to perpetrate attacks. And despite shrinking revenue streams, the group still has sufficient funds to carry on fighting. These are among the key points from the Secretary-General’s 4^th report on The threat posed by ISIL/Da’esh to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat.

Published on 2 February 2017, the report (S/2017/97) was submitted as a follow-up to Security Council resolution 2253 (2015), which requests the Secretary-General to submit updates every four months on the threat that ISIL represents to the international community and the principles and values of the Charter of the United Nations.

“ISIL is adapting in several ways to military pressure – resorting to increasingly covert communication and recruitment methods, including by using the ‘dark web,’ encryption and messengers,”

– noted Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman during his briefing to the Security Council on 7 February 2017.

Focusing on Europe, North Africa, and West Africa, the report notes that Europe has experienced range of terrorist attacks since 2014, with some of these attacks directed and facilitated by ISIL or through its assistance and propaganda. While the military offensive in Libya has dislodged ISIL from its stronghold Sirte, the group’s threat to Libya and neighbouring countries persists. The terrorist organizations’ fighters – estimated to range from several hundred to 3,000 – have moved to other parts of the country. ISIL’s presence in West Africa and the Maghreb has grown, though it does not control significant amounts of territory in the region. Finally, ISIL-affiliate Boko Haram is attempting to spread its influence and commit terrorist acts beyond Nigeria, thus remaining a serious threat – despite being plagued by financial difficulties and an internal power struggle, which has led to its split into two factions.

The report highlights the importance of international cooperation and information sharing, referring to Security Council resolution 2322 (2016), which calls upon Member States to establish laws and mechanisms to allow for the broadest possible international cooperation in the judicial and law enforcement spheres. S/2017/97 stresses that information sharing and cooperation on addressing terrorist attacks have improved, leading to a curtailing of the travel of foreign terrorist fighters between States in Europe. Maghreb and West Africa also show improvements in this area.

The report was prepared with the input of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), in close collaboration with the Monitoring Team of the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, as well as other relevant United Nations actors and international organizations.

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Regional workshop on bringing terrorists to justice held in Kenya

BMUSONI — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 18:11:00 +0000

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The UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Government of Kenya, acting in cooperation with the Global Center on Cooperative Security and in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) and 2178 (2014), held a workshop on “Bringing Terrorists to Justice” from 22 to 24 October 2014 at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, the second of its kind.

The three-day workshop focussed on the conversion of information into evidence in terrorism cases. It notably included an interactive case study, designed to promote the principle of early cooperation and coordination, in which participating police officers and prosecutors worked together to identify and follow-up on investigative leads and develop the elements for a successful prosecution (including the collection of admissible evidence) in the context of preventive terrorist offences.

Around 25 law enforcement and intelligence officers and prosecutors from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda explored a range of good practices to overcome the challenges of complex terrorism investigations, such as the use of inter-agency and cross-border cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism through the judicial process. Experts from CTED, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the African Prosecutors’ Association, the French judiciary, the Institute for Security Studies and the Global Center also participated.

The workshop was hosted by the Government of Kenya and implemented with the support of the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. The challenges addressed had been previously identified by participants in the First Regional Workshop for Law Enforcement Officers and Prosecutors in East Africa, held in Kampala in May 2013.

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In Counter-Terrorism Committee briefing, African States share best practices in preventing incitement to terrorism

BMUSONI — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 16:03:00 +0000

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In an open briefing on 30 September 2014 held at the United Nations in New York, the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) discussed Countering incitement to commit terrorist acts motivated by extremism and intolerance: the Kingdom of Morocco’s approach and experiences of other African States.
H.E. Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaitë, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations, recalled the origins of the theme of this open briefing: during the Committee’s 2013 visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, it had identified Morocco’s national strategy to promote dialogue among civilizations as a good practice to be shared among other States.

“Whether in developing or developed States, religious leaders can play a pivotal role in creating an environment of peaceful coexistence. By promoting intrareligious and interreligious reflection and dialogue, governments can help build trust within societies and within public institutions,” said the Chair.
The role of religious institutions falls within the scope of Security Council resolution 1624 from 2005, as it targets in particular the threat of terrorism incitement, and calls upon States to counter incitement and prevent the subversion of religious institutions by terrorist and their supporters. In its resolution 2178 adopted on 24 September 2014, the Council stressed that countering violent extremism was essential to addressing the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters and encouraged States to empower religious leaders in developing strategies to counter the violent extremist narrative.
Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, speaking on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said that the evolution of the terrorist threat in new and unpredictable directions was among the most serious challenges faced by the international community. The actions of the international community must address the immediate security challenges, the political context, and underlying long-term grievances. They must also be undertaken in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law, he stressed.
H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, noted that the Security Council in its recently adopted resolution 2178 (2014) for the first time had underscored the importance of countering violent extremism as a key element in effective responses to the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters.
H.E. Mr. Nasser Bourita, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, underscored Morocco’s commitment to counter-terrorism and its firm belief that the fight against terrorism was a collective endeavour of all members of the international community. Morocco’s approach to counter-terrorism, he said, was (i) pragmatic, in so far as it was adaptable to the evolving situation on the ground; (ii) coherent, in that initiatives at the national level were compatible with regional and international efforts; and (iii) global, in the sense that it represented a comprehensive approach that included security measures, socio-economic development, and the religious dimension. Political stability and good security governance were indispensable, but there was also a need to strengthen efforts to fight poverty, inequality and social exclusion.
H.E. Mr. Ahmed Toufik, Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, underscored that Morocco’s approach to managing religious affairs in the context of combatting terrorism had not originally been designed specifically to address terrorism, but had proven effective in preventing radicalization and the abuse of religion for terrorist purposes. Morocco’s policy, he said, rested on three pillars. The first was political legitimacy, which was derived from the King’s position as the Commander of the Faithful and the oath of allegiance pledged to him. The second was religious leadership, provided by the High Council for Religious Affairs, which issued fatwas pertaining to political life and social activity and was widely recognized within Moroccan society as the sole authority on such matters. The third was the provision of religious services, which included an emphasis on religious education. Religious scholars therefore guided people towards a moderate understanding of religion and devised fatwas through an institutionalized authority, thereby protecting them from the influence of extremists.
Other speakers on the panel included Mr. Yassine Mansouri, Director General of the Directorate General of Studies and Documentation of the Kingdom of Morocco; H.E. Mr. Thierno Amadou Omar Hass Diallo, Minister of Religious Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Mali; H.E. Mr. Abdellah Jassi, Secretary-General, Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Guinea; Mr. Cisse Djiguiba, Director-General of La Radio Nationale Islamique Al-Bayane, Côte d’Ivoire; and H.E. Mr. Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, Founder and President of the Abu Dhabi-based Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies.
Following the question and answer session, Mr. Jean-Paul Laborde, CTED Executive Director, closed the open briefing, inter alia underlining that “In order to effectively counter the extremism and intolerance that drove incitement to commit terrorism, it is important to address the conditions conducive to the spread and incitement of terrorism.”

[French]

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