Border control key to Sahel security, UN says

Magharebia

[AFP/Abdelhak Senna] Moroccan Minister-Delegate for Foreign Affairs Youssef Amrani calls for “coherent integration in the Maghreb”.

By Siham Ali in Rabat for Magharebia

Regional co-operation is the best tactic to defeat terrorism, experts from INTERPOL and the UN told a Sahel security conference in Morocco.

Maghreb co-operation on border security is critical to fighting terrorism, participants at a high-level Rabat conference concluded last week.

The United Nations Centre for Counter Terrorism (UNCCT) organised the event in Morocco as part of its technical assistance programme for Sahel states.

From March 12th-15th, INTERPOL representatives, UN security experts and government officials discussed the importance of co-ordination at the national, regional and inter-regional levels.

The summit also aimed to promote dialogue among intelligence services of Sahel-Saharan countries to address border security issues.

“Only coherent regional integration in the Maghreb, as well as in West and Central Africa, can allow us to work together and provide an appropriate response to a threat confronting all of us,” Moroccan Minister-Delegate for Foreign Affairs Youssef Amrani said.

Morocco is determined to build a zone of shared prosperity by encouraging regional integration, he said.

“There must be a sincere co-operation in border control, which also allows co-operation to create jobs and promote economic and social development,” Amrani said.

Morocco’s counter-terror efforts involved national, regional and international dimensions, Foreign Affairs Minister Saadeddine El Othmani said.

“We need to promote successful co-operation at these levels, within the rule of law, and the sovereignty of states and their political, social and cultural rights,” he added.

The stakes are high when it comes to facing security threats, the head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) told participants at the Rabat forum.

Regional and international co-operation is essential to fight and combat terrorism in an effective and sustainable manner, CTED chief Mike Smith added.

The international community is increasingly aware of the critical importance of such partnerships, political analyst Najia Bekkali said.

But the countries of the region are not yet working together to the fullest, she added. Still, she sees the increase in talks as a positive sign.

Members of the public also hope that these meetings will have a real impact on efforts to achieve stability in the region.

“The recommendations that come from these discussions must be implemented, in order to fight terrorism more effectively,” student Sara Moline told Magharebia.