50% of all deaths attributed to terrorism globally were recorded in Africa : AUC Special Envoy
About 50% of all deaths attributed to terrorism globally in 2021 were recorded in Africa, says the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson’s Special Envoy on Youth.
The Special Envoy Ms. Chido Cleopatra Mpemba who cited the 2022 Global Terrorism Index while addressing the 3rd UN High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies this week indicated: “With a range of 60-70% of Africa’s population being young people, and a global tally of 1.2 billion people being young, young people are compounded by humanitarian challenges making them at higher exposure to terrorism”
“Just 2 days ago, we woke up to the horror attacks and the brutal murder of more than 40 young people by rebels at a school in western Uganda, where several of these students were badly injured while others were abducted,” she lamented the ever persisting death of young people due to terrorism.
“Our young people are suffering this plight in multiple occasions of extremism, and it is clear that terrorist acts will not wait for us to conduct such conferences.”
.In this remarks in connection with the event, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also underscores that terrorism affects every region of the world.
“It preys on local and national vulnerabilities and the instability of political, economic and security systems. Poverty, inequalities and social exclusion give terrorism fuel. Prejudice and discrimination targeting specific groups, cultures, religions and ethnicities give it flame,” the Secretary-General said.
He also indicated that criminal activities like money laundering, illegal mining, and the trafficking of arms, drugs, antiquities and human beings give Terrorism funding.
To cyberspace, where prejudice, discrimination, misogyny, societal division and outright hatred run rampant, Guterres pointed out.
“This has grave consequences for the most vulnerable people — including women and girls, who face intimidation and sexual and gender-based violence in communities afflicted with terrorism.”
It means addressing the underlying conditions that can lead to terrorism in the first place — such as poverty, discrimination, disaffection, weak infrastructure and institutions and gross violations of human rights, the Secretary General added.
“We must ensure that counter-terrorism strategies and measures reflect all communities, constituencies and voices — especially minorities, women and young people — and do not hinder civil society in carrying out their vital work.?
Mpemba, furthermore, mentioned that the Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique also gained traction due to its promise of basic commodities and employment in the communities.
“While it is critical to engage the young people, we must also address their critical roles in preventive measures, as it is critical to revisit the topic of young people’s contributions to continental and global development goals, such as the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” she added.
The UN High Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies hosted by the Secretary General H.E. Antonio Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York under the theme “Addressing Terrorism through Reinvigorated Multilateralism and Institutional Cooperation.”
Accirding to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the largest increase in terrorism deaths, rising by eight per cent. Sixty per cent, or 4,023, of all terrorism deaths globally occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Four of the ten countries with the largest deteriorations in GTI score are located in sub-Saharan Africa: Togo, Djibouti, Central African Republic and Benin. Terrorism deaths in subSaharan Africa increased by eight per cent, reversing the small improvement recorded in 2021.
The GTI report is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) using data from TerrorismTracker and other sources. TerrorismTracker provides event records on terrorist attacks since 1 January 2007.