Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called on great and emerging powers to put aside rivalries and work together with ECOWAS and AU to stamp out terrorism in Africa.

Mr Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the vice president delivered a public lecture at the King’s College, London, UK.

The title of the lecture was, “Africa Can Prosper in an Increasingly Complex World”.

According to the vice president, there is restiveness in the continent which is driven in part by poverty, alienation, environmental degradation and poor governance.

“The more pressing problem today is the encroachment by franchises of global terror groups into Africa; although many African countries have acted vigorously to tackle these terrorist groups.

“There is still much more that can be done especially in partnership with the rest of the international community.

“The Sahel appears to be the worst hit; according to the 2022 Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel has become home to ‘the world’s fastest-growing and most deadly terrorist groups’ and Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 48 per cent of global terrorism deaths.

“The Sahel is also said to account for half a million internally displaced persons, 1.8 million people facing food insecurity and 5.1 million people needing humanitarian assistance.

“Given the scale of the problem and the fact that the threat of terrorism anywhere on earth is a threat to the whole of humanity, I think it is time for the global community to treat the menace of terrorism in the Sahel as a common challenge.

“This is one area in which the great powers and emerging powers can put aside rivalries and work together with ECOWAS and the African Union on an initiative to stamp out terrorism in Africa, especially in the Sahel.”

Mr Osinbajo said that Africa had been and remained a force for global good.

He made reference to the agreement in 1963 when African countries barely out of colonial rule agreed to respect colonially inherited boundaries.

The vice president said the agreement was a big deal as most wars in the world in previous centuries were often linked to disagreements about boundaries.

“Following from the respect for colonially inherited boundaries, Africa has also shown an outstandingly good example in using its regional integration arrangements to promote peace and security on one hand and trade and industry on the other.

“African regional organisations have taken responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security in the continent and its sub-regions.

“Notable in this regard is the strong resistance to unconstitutional changes of government at the African Union and also in regional economic groupings.

“ECOWAS for instance has sanctioned countries like Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali where soldiers have seized power by coups d’etat.

“Such sanctions include suspension of memberships, travel bans and freezes on financial credits amongst other things.”

Osinbajo commended the AU  which has backed up ECOWAS actions and has also suspended the membership of these countries.

He also acknowledged that the U.S. Government issued a statement of specific support for ECOWAS sanctions in Guinea.

(NAN)