Despite efforts, “terrorism and violent extremism continue to grow,” said the UN Secretary General on Monday, calling for action to address their “root causes” such as poverty and human rights violations.
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“Despite the clear progress we have made over the years, terrorism and violent extremism continue to take root and grow,” Antonio Guterres told a conference on the subject, calling for “doing common front in the face of this global threat”.
“Groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Daesh (Islamic State group) in Africa are rapidly gaining ground in regions such as the Sahel and moving south towards the Gulf of Guinea,” he said, also referring to the “brutal legacy” of IS in Syria and Iraq.
“In a number of countries, neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements are quickly becoming the main threats to internal security,” said the Secretary General.
Stressing that terrorism feeds on the multiple crises facing the world – food and energy crises, the “inferno” of climate change, the spread of hatred online – he called for “prevention”, “the most effective in containing this threat.
But “the work of prevention is not limited to thwarting attacks or conspiracies”, he insisted before the representatives of the agencies of the fight against terrorism of the Member States of the UN gathered until Tuesday in New York. .
“It is also about addressing the root causes that can lead to terrorism, including poverty, discrimination, disillusionment, infrastructure and institutional deficiencies, and gross human rights violations.”
He also insisted that the fight against terrorism be part of respect for human rights. Including in terms of the repatriation of foreign jihadists and their families still detained in camps since the defeat of IS.
“I reiterate my call on all member states to help expedite repatriation, which is an urgent priority,” he said.
“This is a matter of human decency and compassion, and also a safety issue. We must prevent the legacy of yesterday’s battles from giving rise to tomorrow’s conflicts”.