News Ghana
Morocco on Thursday called for more support to African countries in the fight against terrorism, mainly the militant Islamic State (IS), official news agency MAP reported.
During an online ministerial conference of the Restricted Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh (IS), Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita underlined that IS is seeking to take advantage of the raging coronavirus pandemic, in an attempt to organize its return by increasing acts of violence.
Bourita highlighted the importance of stemming the terrorist threat in Africa, noting that the collective efforts of the coalition have made it possible to wipe out IS’s territorial ambition in the Middle East.
IS in Africa is using sophisticated weapons, including drones, and seeking to control local communities, while trying to bring fighters from other terrorist branches, Bourita said.
Central Africa and the Sahel are currently experiencing a sharp increase in attacks from the terrorist organization whose fighters are estimated at 6,000, he said. Bourita called for increased efforts to ensure the global and lasting defeat of this terror group, by depriving it of time, space and resources necessary to support its violent actions.
The meeting, co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, was attended by 30 countries.
The conference adopted a declaration, reaffirming the commitment to strengthen cooperation within the coalition in order to achieve a full and enduring defeat of IS worldwide.
