Algeria seeks to persuade Africa and the world for the need to criminalize payment of ransoms to terrorist groups as part of combating terrorism

Algeria is seeking, through its Foreign Affairs Committee at the lower Chamber of the Council, to persuade African countries to the need to criminalize the payment of ransom to terrorist groups for releasing hostages.

 This demand will be discussed in the framework of Algeria’s efforts to create a continental African Parliament to address all the problems related to the black continent.

This demand is also expected to be discussed at the European Parliament which aims to settle conflicts and issues relating to European countries.

This idea will be discussed firmly in the framework of the International Forum on National, Continental and Regional Parliaments, organized by the Committee of Foreign Affairs at the People’s National Council on the current 25^th and 26^th January in Algiers.

According to the head of the Committee, Reguig Ben Thabet, establishment of an African Continental Parliament will not be as easy as some might expect, because it requires, first, persuading African countries for the need to proceed in the embodiment of this idea proposed by Algeria, as members of this body will be chosen as a first stage, then elected in a democratic way through the fund. Those members must be African citizens, and in the third phase the body will be able to exercise legislative functions such as known continental parliaments, like the European Parliament.

Same sources said that if Algeria could reach the aim of criminalizing ransom for releasing hostages kidnapped by terrorists in the African countries, it would be a real fight against terrorism, because those ransoms are financial support.