Sahel ministers to work together on fighting terrorism, organized crime

2008-11-14

Officials from Algeria, Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad gathered in Mali this week to plan a unified strategy to counter crime and terrorism in the Sahel

By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 14/11/08

[Getty Images] Malian Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane maintains that terrorist groups are responsible for the lack of prosperity in the Sahel region.

Following a two-day meeting in Bamako, officials from several Sahel countries and Algeria called on Tuesday (November 11th) for intensifying efforts and co-operation to combat all forms of organized crime, including terrorism and smuggling.

Algeria's Minister of State for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel described the meeting, which gathered foreign ministers from Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, as an important step towards close co-operation between the region’s nations. Mauritania was not invited the meeting, following the coup that toppled its democratically elected president.

The meeting is in preparation for an upcoming Sahel heads of states summit that will address "security, peace and development" in the region.

"The meeting will help build a foundation for strong co-operation between Sahel countries to confront terrorist groups and all forms of organized crime," Malian Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane told reporters. Ouane maintains that terrorist groups, along with criminal and smuggling networks, are responsible for the lack of prosperity in the region.

Government-owned Mali daily Lessor called on November 12th on the countries in the region to put together a "unified strategy" to confront the region’s problems, which it said hinder development.

Messahel said the meeting came in response to an invitation by Malian President Amadou Tounami Toure, following terrorist activities and smuggling operations that took place in the region in the past few years. Messahel was referring to the crisis in Northern Mali between government forces and Tuareg rebels. Algeria acted as mediator between the two sides, sponsoring a peace agreement in July 2006 in Algiers.

The Sahel region has also seen increasing activity by al-Qaeda organization in the Islamic Maghreb, which earlier this year kidnapped two Austrian tourists and held them in Mali. They were released on October 30th.

The ministers agreed on a document addressing creation of a "mechanism for co-operation to fight terrorism, organized crime, illegal immigration and smuggling".

The document will be presented to heads of state at the presidential summit in Bamako.

According to Messahel, terrorism has made it imperative for Sahel countries to "organize themselves and look for joint solutions through combining capabilities".

The joint plan, he said, includes co-operation in border control and information exchange. It also calls for developing commercial activity through legitimate channels in order to fight smuggling, which funds terrorist organizations.