Morocco has positioned itself as a “key partner” in the global fight against Daesh and terrorism, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita declared at the 11th ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh on Monday in Washington, USA.
Bourita said that the Coalition had played a significant role in “largely annihilating Daesh’s capabilities in the Middle East” over the past decade.
However, he cautioned that despite these successes, terrorism has reemerged in other regions, particularly Africa. A recent report from the Africa Center indicates that fatalities from violent extremism increased by 20 percent in 2022, reaching an alarming “record level of lethal violence.”
To address this escalating threat, Bourita called for Africa to be placed at the center of the global counter-terrorism efforts. He stressed the importance of a unified approach guided by principles of solidarity, sovereign equality, and shared responsibility.
The “African-solutions-to-African-problems” mantra should not be used as “an excuse for international inaction,” he said.
Morocco has been actively involved in combating terrorism in Africa. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, based in Rabat, has trained over 1,500 African experts in just three years, bolstering the continent’s capacity to confront the threat.