The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Living Abroad recently organized a conference in Rabat, in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), on counterterrorism and maritime security along Africa’s Atlantic coasts.
This conference (January 9-10) brought together over 50 counterterrorism officials and experts from member countries of the Kingdom’s Rabat Process on African Atlantic States (PEAA), as well as representatives from regional and international organizations, to discuss the best ways to address this scourge in the African Atlantic region.
The speakers emphasized that terrorism, which is alarmingly prevalent in the Sahel region — now the global epicenter of this phenomenon — has repercussions on the security situation of African Atlantic countries. Several global reports by the UN and other international organizations highlight the shifting of the terrorist threat from the Sahel to the Atlantic coastal states.
It should be noted that the Rabat Process on African Atlantic States (PEAA), which reflects King Mohammed VI’s vision to make the African Atlantic region a zone of peace, stability, and shared prosperity, has prioritized combating terrorism and other security challenges, such as transnational crime, among its key objectives.
Among the topics discussed at this conference were the opportunities offered by emerging technologies, particularly unmanned aerial systems or drones, to counter terrorist threats.
The conference aimed to facilitate an exchange of experiences and expertise between PEAA countries and other regional and international actors in counterterrorism, especially regarding the use of emerging technologies.
These technologies, such as drones, offer significant advantages in the fight against terrorism. However, they also pose a major challenge if acquired and used by terrorist organizations.
This meeting also aimed to identify the needs of PEAA member countries in terms of capacity building, particularly in the field of emerging technologies, to combat terrorism and address its root causes.
Morocco, drawing on its extensive experience and achievements in counterterrorism at the national, continental, and global levels, has consistently expressed its readiness to share its expertise and work collaboratively with African and other partners to implement effective measures against this scourge.
The Kingdom is also developing an unmanned aerial systems industry for surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence-gathering missions, which are key components in combating terrorist activities.
As a pioneer on the African continent, this industry could not only serve Morocco’s national counterterrorism objectives but also support the efforts of African countries in this field.
Source: h24info
