Maat: 726 victims of terrorist operations fell in Africa during April 2022 & West Africa remains in the crosshairs of ISIS and Boko Haram attacks
Okeil: We call on the African Union to establish an African indicative mechanism to confront the alliance of organized criminal gangs
Gouda: We recommend the Ethiopian government to stop the escalation of violence in Oromia and protect the rights of minorities
According to the report, the number of terrorist operations reported in April has shown an increase compared to March 2022, in which the number of victims reached 710. During the month, East Africa ranked first in terrorist operations, with 408 people killed due to the increased activity of Al-Shabab in Somalia, the continuation of internal fighting in Ethiopia, as well as Sudan’s political instability and insecurity. West Africa ranked second with 238 deaths, due to the successive attacks of ISIS and Boko Haram militias. Central Africa, however, came last with 74 deaths as a result of terrorist incidents.
The report indicated that in April, the pace of terrorist operations increased compared to last March, in which the number of victims reached 710. During the month, East Africa ranked first in terrorist operations, with 408 people killed due to the increased activity of Al-Shabab in Somalia, the continuation of internal fighting in Ethiopia, as well as the state of security turmoil in Sudan, while West Africa ranked second with 238 deaths. As for the Central African region, 74 people were killed in terrorist incidents, as a result of the successive attacks of ISIS and Boko Haram.
In North Africa, 6 Sinai tribesmen were killed. Despite the significant decline in terrorist operations in Egypt thanks to the efforts of the Egyptian state in confronting terrorist organizations, these organizations refuse to stop their hostile activities against citizens.
In this context, Ayman Okeil, the international human rights expert and president of Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights, confirmed that despite the efforts of African countries to fight terrorism and armed operations, they yielded no fruit so far, as rampant terrorism remains prevalent in Africa, impeding the achievement of SDG 16 as well as the third and fourth aspirations of Africa's Agenda 2063, which focus on achieving peace.
Okeil called on the African Union and its mechanisms to cooperate and develop an African indicative mechanism on the best ways to confront the alliance of organized criminal gangs and terrorist organizations in a way that does not restrict the freedoms of human rights defenders or the work of the civil society. According to the report of Ms. Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, presented at the 49th session of the Human Rights Council, counter-terrorism cannot be invoked to justify human rights violations, especially against human rights defenders, and restrict the work of civil society, as is the case in a number of African countries.
Especially against human rights defenders and restrictions on the work of civil society, which the Rapporteur mentioned as examples in a number of African countries.
For his part, Abdul-Latif Gouda, a researcher at the African Affairs and Sustainable Development Unit at Maat, indicated that the ongoing conflict in the Oromia has ranked Ethiopia first among the countries with the highest number of victims in Africa, which reported an increase from 60 in March to 220 in April. Gouda recommended the Ethiopian government to stop the escalation of violence in the Oromia region, and also called on them to enter into a national dialogue that preserves the interests of the people and takes into account the rights of minorities.
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