Zawaya

Combining economy and security

By: Iqbal Al Gharbi

Terrorism is not a new threat for many African countries, but many governments have just now realized that it threatens the security and economic development of Africa as a whole, thus requiring a coordinated joint response.

However, Africa lacks a regional strategic framework to fight terrorism, and does not have a cooperation and capacity building mechanism to address this growing threat.

In fact, the Libyan crisis has undoubtedly helped AQIM obtain (conventional and unconventional) weapons. Some experts believe that AQIM is planning to strengthen its ties with the Somali organization al-Shabab, in order to create a new AQIM-Shabab-AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) axis, i.e. Maghreb-Sahel-Somalia-Yemen.

The African Sahel represents a fertile ground for al-Qaeda’s purposes. Poverty, tribalism, smuggling, hard drug trafficking, persisting unresolved conflicts, and ethnic or religious discrimination are all underlying conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism.

The Sahel draws the border between the Mediterranean and the sub-Saharan Africa, as a transition from North Africa to the black sub-Saharan Africa. It is also a traditional trade route, a migration route between Africa and Europe, and a gray area uncontrolled by coastal states.

This explains the importance of security in the Sahel, and its role in improving the stability and security of Africa.

Faced with these challenges, Maghreb states ought to overcome their disputes in order to address the rise of the extremist discourse, and rationally consider all possible ways to prevent terrorism.

In the area of security, terrorism is a global threat that requires a global response. Global security depends on the stability of the Sahel, and on an active fight against terrorism which recruits members in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania.

Global security is obviously linked to a global development program. The latter could fight socioeconomic marginalization, exorcise the lack of good governance, and promote the rule of law as a condition sine qua non for the success of the fight against terrorism.

According to Aomar Baghzouz, the Maghreb, as a united player, might require greater involvement in the Mediterranean security policies, in view of a NATO-Maghreb-EU triangle. Moreover, as a political entity, the Maghreb could ease the rivalry existing between the United States and Europe, and contribute to a greater coherence in counter-terrorism efforts.

A united Maghreb would have a single market with no trade barriers, and will therefore be finally able to make better use of partnerships suggested by both by the United States and the European Union.