A coalition of some countries has expressed its resolve to ensure the defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the two countries and Africa.
The coalition, which includes Nigeria, is known as Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. It made the position known on Wednesday in Marrakesh, Morocco, whenre it held its first ministerial meeting in Africa.
The delegation from Nigeria was led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Mongono, a retired major general.
Revealing the details of the meeting, spokesperson of the NSA, Zakari Usman, in a statement, said the coalition acknowledged that despite significant setbacks suffered by ISIS’leadership in recent times, the group continues to conduct attacks in Iraq and Syria and represents an ongoing threat.
He said the coalition also reiterated the importance of allocating adequate resources to sustaining its activities and those of legitimate partner forces.
“Civilian-led efforts, including prevention, stabilisation, countering terrorist financing, counter narratives and foreign terrorist fighter prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration are increasingly necessary to achieve the lasting defeat of ISIS,” the communiqué read.
The stance of the coalition comes as Nigeria battles elements of ISIS in the North-eastern part of the country.
Africa, particularly the Lake chad region which the North-eastern part of Nigeria is part of, also battles ISWAP terrorists who are believed to be affiliated with ISWAP.
Consequently, the coalition recognised the need to meet the evolving threat of ISIS in Africa and welcomed the first three Africa Focus Group meetings, which took place in Brussels, Rome and Marrakesh which it believes will bolster the civilian-led counterterrorism capabilities of African members.
Read the full statement by Mr Usman below.
NSA Monguno Leads Nigeria’s Delegation to Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Morocco
As Global Coalition Resolves to Bolster Civilian-led Counterterrorism Capabilities of African Members.
On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retired), led Nigeria’s delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, held in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS is an 83-member alliance established in 2014 to reduce the threat ISIS poses to international security in general and the national security of member countries.
The 2022 meeting in Morocco was the first to be convened in Africa and presented an opportunity for the Coalition, led by the United States, to reaffirm the shared determination to continue the fight against ISIS through both military and civilian-led efforts to sustain pressure on ISIS remnants in Iraq and Syria and to counter its global networks, especially in Africa where it has been undermining national security through the proliferation of affiliates.
In a Joint Communiqué issued by Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS following the meeting in Morocco, member countries affirmed that ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria remained a priority. The Coalition acknowledged that, despite significant setbacks suffered by ISIS’ leadership in recent times, the group continues to conduct attacks in Iraq and Syria and represents an ongoing threat.
The Coalition also reiterated the importance of allocating adequate resources to sustaining its activities and those of legitimate partner forces. “Civilian-led efforts, including prevention, stabilisation, countering terrorist financing, counter narratives and foreign terrorist fighter prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration are increasingly necessary to achieve the lasting defeat of ISIS,” the communiqué read.
Importantly, the Coalition recognised the need to meet the evolving threat of ISIS in Africa and welcomed the first three Africa Focus Group meetings, which took place in Brussels, Rome and Marrakesh. The Africa Focus Group, the Coalition believes, will bolster the civilian-led counterterrorism capabilities of African members by drawing from experiences in Iraq and Syria and by fostering synergies with other existing international, sub-regional and regional counterterrorism efforts and initiatives.
The importance of addressing the underlying causes of insecurity in Africa was also stressed at the event. The Coalition reiterated that any lasting solution to halting the spread of ISIS in Africa would rely primarily on national authorities, as well as sub-regional and regional efforts and initiatives that acknowledge and address the political and economic drivers of conflict. To this end, Nigeria’s participation in the 2022 Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS was an opportunity to compare notes and share knowledge, as well as expand network on strategies to minimise or eradicate national, sub-regional and regional threats posed by the activities of terrorist groups and violent extremists.
Recall that Nigeria and the United States co-chaired a virtual meeting of the same event in November 2020, where Nigeria’s position on the global coalition was firmly emphasised. Through the Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nigeria highlighted, among other issues, that the challenges of global terrorism had negatively impacted virtually every facet of human endeavour, including national security, the economy, polity, environment and the lives and livelihoods of people, as apparent in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin and parts of the North-East of the country.
Therefore, Nigeria expressed readiness to seek more support and partnership within the activities and mandate of the Global Coalition against ISIS to enhance its ongoing operations against terrorism and other threats to national security, as well as efforts in preventing and countering violent extremism within the country and beyond.
SIGNED: Zakari Usman, Head, Strategic Communication, Office of the National Security Adviser
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