Maat: Internal conflicts have become a threat no less than terrorism in Africa

Ayman Okeil : Any foreign intervention in the continent must be guided by the UN and governed by international law

Atef Dabel: Warring parties to return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement that guarantees the return of stability, as a prelude to a national dialogue

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights issued its monthly report, "Lens of Terrorist Operations and Acts of Violence in Africa" for the period from April to June 2023. The report monitored the transformations in the phenomenon of terrorism and violence in Africa during that period, and tracked the international and regional efforts exerted to combat this phenomenon At least 5,353 people were reportedly killed during the period covered by the report.

East Africa ranked first, with 3,236 killings, due to the escalation of violence in Sudan, which topped African countries in the number of victims of violence. West Africa ranked second with 1,947 killings, with Nigeria ranking second in the number of terrorist operations and acts of violence. Central Africa ranked third, with 422 killings, and both North and South Africa ranked last, as usual.

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights rejects the conflict between major countries at the expense of the interests of the African nations. Foreign intervention in African countries under the name of combating terrorism has cast a shadow over the continent, using the “war on terror” as a cover for its intentions to exploit its resources.

Ayman Okeil, a human rights expert and Chairman of Maat, has recommended writing-off Africa’s debts, and proposed instead to leverage Africa’s rich resources and invest in them to help the country develop its poor economies and achieve overall development so that they would have the capabilities to combat the phenomenon, eradicate it and build societies based on equality and justice. Terrorism is the first obstacle to any development process in Africa, but this development can only be achieved in safe societies. Okeil recommended that any foreign intervention in the continent should be guided by the UN and governed by international law.

Atef Dabel, a researcher in combating hate speech and violent extremism at Maat, expressed his profound regret over the difficult situation in Sudan and called on warring parties to return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement that guarantees the return of stability, as a prelude to a national dialogue in which the political forces will participate to end the transitional period and resort to a legitimate authority that guarantees the return of stability.

Finally, the report highlighted the alarming surge in the phenomenon of terrorism in Africa, and that it has become a threat to the entire world, and monitored the steps taken by the international community to combat it. The report also noted that poor countries' resources are mainly allocated to military spending to combat terrorism, which leads to an increase in the demand for foreign aid and exploitation of African lands for weapons testing and exercise of influence. Besides, significant changes in the distribution of the map of terrorist operations and the spread of violence in a number of African countries were monitored.