Tangier – International experts taking part in the Medays Forum warned, on Thursday in Tangier, of the serious threats posed by the mounting armed violence to peace and security in the region of the Sahel and the Sahara.
The international pundits who were speaking during a panel on the impact of armed violence on development in North African and Middle Eastern countries, shed light on the factors that create a propitious climate for the proliferation of such peace undermining activities.
Director of the Paris-based Observatory of Geopolitical Studies (OEG), Charles Saint Prot, noted that zones that are not under the authority fo states offer foothold for terrorist networks and all sorts of trafficking.
In this respect, Saint Prot pointed to the threat to regional peace and security posed by the activities of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the polisario separatists, recalling the recent kidnapping of three European aid workers in the camps of Tindouf (South Western Algeria) and the rise of drug trafficking networks.
Saint Prot added that the Algeria-backed polisario separatists proved a stumbling block to Maghreban integration.
Countering terrorism in the region requires reinforcing institutions, good governance and the promotion of conflict resolution mechanisms, he said, adding that collective answeres are needed to meet collective challenges.
He said that Morocco, given its institutional and democracy experience, is well placed to play a key role in promoting regional peace and security.
