Speaker at U.N. meeting urges African-led, rights-based counterterrorism strategy

An unnamed speaker at a United Nations meeting on terrorism in Africa called for African-led, human-rights-based responses and for predictable funding to support regional efforts.

The speaker outlined the scale of the problem, saying Sub‑Saharan Africa now accounts for nearly 59% of global terrorism-related deaths, and that ‘‘for three straight years, terrorism-related deaths have soared past 6,000, making up more than half of all global fatalities.’’ The remarks cited sharp increases in violence in the Sahel and West Africa and pointed to recent attacks, including an assault on Jan. 8 that the speaker said killed at least 28 Benin soldiers and a Jan. 4 attack on a military base in Sabangiradambua, Nigeria, that left six soldiers dead.

The speaker said counterterrorism responses must address three priorities: tackling the drivers of radicalization and recruitment, applying human-rights‑based approaches that include accountability and inclusion, and strengthening regional cooperation and coordination. ‘‘As terrorism evolves, so must we,’’ the speaker said, arguing that responses should be ‘‘grounded in humanitarian-development-peace nexus’’ approaches and aligned with the Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy and other international commitments.

On root causes, the speaker linked the growth of extremist groups to fragility, poverty, inequality, and exclusion, warning that youth marginalization and unemployment leave generations vulnerable to recruitment. The speaker also said armed groups are pooling resources, fighters and expertise and are exploiting new technologies such as unmanned aerial systems.

The remarks named several armed groups and areas of concern, including JNIM (Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin) in the Sahel; a group identified in the transcript as Lakurawa operating across northwest Nigeria, Niger and Chad; Al Shabaab in Somalia; the Allied Democratic Forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and an organization transcribed as "Aluho Sunawal Al Jama" in Mozambique. The speaker warned of growing risks of infiltration and radicalization in northern Ghana, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria.

The speaker urged greater backing for African institutions and initiatives, mentioning the African Union and its Counterterrorism Center, multinational efforts such as the joint task force in the Lake Chad Basin, the AU support and stabilization mission in Somalia, and the ECOWAS standby force. The speech referenced international commitments including the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, the Declaration on Future Generations, the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063, and said recent United Nations measures and Security Council action respond to member states' calls for predictable funding for AU‑led peace support operations.

The speaker emphasized that commitments must be matched by resources: ‘‘Adequate resources must be put in place,’’ the speaker said, noting that a Security Council resolution cited in the remarks responds to long‑standing calls from African member states for sustainable funding.

The speech combined appeals for prevention and development with calls for strengthened law enforcement, training, judicial capacity and accountability frameworks so that counterterrorism measures protect human rights and avoid actions that could further destabilize communities. The speaker said that responses should be inclusive of civil society, women, young people, minorities and marginalized groups.

The remarks closed with a call for coordinated, context‑specific, African‑led solutions backed by the international community and for continued vigilance as the tactics of extremist groups change.