Blames Insurgency For Insecurity In Africa
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the killing of 69 people in Niger Republic by insurgents at the country’s common border with Mali and Burkina Fasso.
This was even as the President observed that the insecurity currently being experienced across the African continent was driven by multiple security threats such as insurgency and terrorism.
Reacting to the killing in Niger Republic yesterday, President Buhari said, “this dastardly and callous attack on innocent people, including a mayor in Niger Republic, is a disturbing setback to the regional efforts to stem terrorist activities that have caused massive destructions in our countries.”
According to the President, “this remorseless and mindless violence has no place in the civilised world where the sanctity of life is valued.”
He explained that “indiscriminate violence on innocent people in one place is a threat everywhere in Africa, and therefore, there is the urgency of greater cooperation among African countries to nip terrorist threats in the bud.”
President Buhari told his Niger Republic counterpart, Mohammed Bazoum, that “we share your grief over this tragic incident,” adding: “We African leaders must leave no stone unturned to frustrate and defeat these common enemies of humanity.”
The Nigerian leader added that, “terrorism shouldn’t be treated as a localised security threat, because it’s spreading its tentacles far beyond our imaginations.”
“It’s high time we pulled resources and efforts together to defeat these callous criminals who are causing serious social and economic disruptions in our countries. Nigeria will continue to support our neighbours in the common efforts to fight terrorism. May the souls of the victims rest in peace. May God comfort their families,” the President said.
President Buhari, who spoke on the security threats in Africa at the 5th conference of Network of African Parliamentarians, Members of Defence and Security Committee in Abuja, said Africa was
facing the most challenging phase in the history of its development because governments across the continent were dealing with multiple threats ranging from terrorism and piracy to transnational organised crimes and insurrectionary challenges.
Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari said: “The threats that we have are local and transnational and we recognise that an insurrection can spread like an infection across borders to destabilise neighbours and create an even greater threat that may jeopardise national security and stability.
The Guardian