Terrorism continues to spread across continent despite measures: African Union

By Tufan Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Despite all the measures and efforts, terrorism has continued to spread across Africa, head of the African Union Commission said on Saturday.

Addressing the Extraordinary Summit on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Governments in Africa in Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo, Moussa Faki Mahamat said the terrorist activities in countries such as Somalia, Mozambique, Gulf of Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Mali, and the Sahel region have been responded, but terrorism has continued to spread to other regions in the recent past.

Regarding the measures to stem the upsurge of terrorism in the continent, Mahamat said the international community does not "sufficiently" support Africa in its fight against terrorism. The mobilization to drive the Daesh/ISIS terror group out of the Middle East is not performed in the African continent, he added.

Also, the coups witnessed in recent years in the continent are unacceptable, Mahamat said, stressing that the protection of democratic institutions is a necessity for social and economic stability.

- Call for reform of UN

Speaking on the relationship between terrorism and poverty, Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco said the countries where terrorism is experienced are also pushed into poverty, adding terrorist incidents also prevent social and democratic development.

The coups led to the loss of political gains, he further said, and called for the change of the world order established after World War II and the reform of the United Nations.

The leaders of African countries came together at another summit on Friday and discussed the steps to be taken towards the current humanitarian crises, epidemics, and natural disasters on the continent.