Speaking at the opening of the high-level meeting of Heads of Counter-Terrorism and Security Agencies in Africa the “Marrakech Platform”, held on Tuesday 4th June in Fez Morocco, Nasser Bourita the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the Royal Vision of Kind Mohammed VI of Morocco for African cooperation and multilateral partnership in the fight against terrorism.
Bourita emphasised that the Marrakech Platform corresponds perfectly to the vision of King Mohammed VI for African cooperation, based on the principles of African belonging, Africa’s ability to find solutions to its own challenges, and taking initiatives in this direction.
Referring to the evolution of the terrorist threat in Africa, Bourita warned that 60% of the world’s victims of terrorism were in sub-Saharan Africa, and that West Africa alone saw more than 1,800 terrorist attacks in the first six months of last year.
The Minister also commended the constant and positive evolution of the Marrakech Platform, both in terms of substance and participation, which reached, at the 3rd edition held in Fez this week, nearly sixty delegations representing UN member states, including African states and the Continent’s partners, as well as regional and international organisations.
While praising the efforts made by African states to combat the terrorist threat, the Minister called for more attention to be paid to the use of new technologies, notably Artificial Intelligence and drones.
Finally, Bourita praised the strategic partnership developed between Morocco and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and the many initiatives put in place to support African states in their fight against the terrorist threat.
In this context, he highlighted the role played by the UNOCT Office for the Africa Region, established in Rabat in 2021, and its significant contribution to strengthening the national counter-terrorism capacities of African States, notably by providing training for over 1,500 law enforcement officers from some thirty African countries.
