The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has called for development of effective mechanisms to enhance the ability of the states to prevent and counter the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by terrorist groups in West Africa.
Ribadu made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the stakeholders’ meeting on Consolidating Collaborative Efforts to Prevent and Counter the Acquisition and Use of IED by Terrorist Group in West Africa, in Abuja.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Mohammed Sanusi, the NSA said the threat of terrorism knows no bound.
He highlighted the essence of collaboration by critical stakeholders to effectively confront and defeat the menace.
Ribadu charged participants to actively engage in discussion towards engendering ideas, and work towards solutions that would help of developing counterterrorism measures to benefit communities in the West Africa sub-region.
He commended the stakeholders for their dedication in strengthening their collective efforts in combating terrorism.
“This regional meeting serves as a platform for us to share knowledge, best practice and experiences in addressing the threats of IEDs by bringing together representatives from ministries, departments, and agencies in Nigeria, as well as experts from West Africa region, member states, and other relevant stakeholders.
“We aim to develop effective mechanisms to enhance our ability to prevent and counter the use of IEDs.
“The recommendations that will emerge from this meeting are vital in sharing and shaping our strategies and initiating to safeguard our communities from IEDs,” he said.
Algerian Ambassador to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, at the meeting said African countries must be able to take adequate measures to fight against terrorism.
These measures, he said concern not only the prevention and dismantling of IEDs, but also proactive and preventive actions that aim to deconstruct them.
According to him, explosive devices remains one of the most potent tools used to carry out terrorist attacks against the states in West Africa and the countries of the Sahel region.
“The efforts of our group to strengthen West African capacities take into account local and regional realities and require the reaffirmed commitment of the international community and its determination to combat the use of improvised explosive devices,” he said.
For her part, German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annette Gunther, represented by the Head of Political Division, Mathias Dold, said the global trend of weaponising commercial drones tended to jeopardise much of the impressive progress that many countries had made in bringing back stability.
He said the agenda of the meeting was built on the Working Group’s regional meeting of 2023, which emphasised the need to strengthen national and regional counter-IED expertise, disrupt the supply chains of IED components, and turn intelligence into the core of the scientific evidence.
He added that the German Government and the European Union had continued to support numerous activities that contribute to non-kinetic efforts to preventing and countering violent extremism, such as the integrated border stability mechanisms for West Africa.
He said that Germany had also been supporting the regional stabilisation facility in the Lake Chad region and contributed to counter-IED activity.
“Together with Nigeria and other West African countries, we share a mutual interest in a secure, stable, and prosperous sub-region, a sub-region that is Europe’s immediate neighbour.
“Thus, we believe that a comprehensive approach, under African leadership, accompanied by international support, and based on the rule of law and human rights, is key to successfully addressing the terrorist threat in the region,” he said.
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