Terrorist Operations Escalated in Africa During 2023

The foreign military presence in Africa has no positive results in counter-terrorism, the Director of the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), Idris Mounir Lallali, said on Monday in Oran.

Lallali highlighted in a statement to the APS on the sidelines of the 10th High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa (Oran Action – 2023), which continues on its second and final day (December 17-18) at Le Méridien Hotel, that the foreign military presence in Africa “had no positive results in counter-terrorism,” adding that what is considered positive is that “African countries are responsible for themselves in addressing security problems, including combating terrorist groups, as is the case in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.”

The same official explained that “during 2024 there will be a decline in the number of terrorist operations and the number of victims.”

“Terrorist operations in Africa escalated and intensified during 2023, rising from four operations per day six years ago to eight operations per day in 2023,” Lallali added.

Idriss Lallali pointed out that “The number of victims of terrorist operations in Africa has risen from 28 killed daily since six years ago to 44 killed daily in 2023,” noting that “the scope of terrorism in Africa has expanded, especially in the Sahel countries and in the Gulf of Guinea, such as Togo, Benin, and Ghana as well”.

ACSRT’s Director also stressed that “Oran Action 2023 has become a pivotal platform in enhancing cooperation between African countries in the field of security and peace in the African continent.”

The same speaker concluded that Algeria is “a unique model in the world in the field of counter-terrorism after it was able to eliminate and neutralize all terrorist threats,” highlighting that “the African Union considers Algeria a pioneer with its experience in counter-terrorism and African countries must emulate it.”

Participants in Oran Action 2023 explored the best ways to achieve “effective, distinguished, and influential African diplomacy for the maintenance of security and stability on the continent.”

The seminar aims to amplify the voice of the African bloc in the UN Security Council, the highest multilateral international body concerned with peace and security, and to take new steps towards updating the African vision of the founding fathers of the Continental Organization. It also seeks to work together to give due weight to Africa’s perspective to find solutions to African problems.

Algeria took part in the “Oran Action 2023″ as the host country and the initiator of this event, as well as one of the three African members of the Security Council, starting next year.

The members of the AU Peace and Security Council, and the current, new, and outgoing African members of the Security Council also attended this edition.

Representatives of the AU Commission, the UN, and the founders, friends, and partners of this year’s AU-UN Commission are also participating in the event, which celebrates the election of the three African members of the UN Security Council.

The High-level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa was established 10 years ago at Algeria’s initiative and was chosen as the permanent headquarters for the symposium. It has become a key platform for discussion and reflection on peace and security issues on the continent, in a relentless effort to promote African joint action to counter terrorism and other phenomena that threaten security and peace in African countries.