Matawalle Urges African States to Unite Against Terrorism, Transnational Crime

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has called for stronger cooperation, intelligence sharing and interoperability among African armed forces to tackle terrorism, transnational organised crime and emerging security threats confronting the continent.

Matawalle made the call while delivering Nigeria’s address at the 18th Ordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security (STCDSS) and the 21st Ordinary Meeting of African Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Safety and Security in Bujumbura, Burundi.

The minister said the continent was facing increasingly complex and interconnected threats, including terrorism and violent extremism, trafficking in persons and arms, piracy, cybercrime, unconstitutional changes of government and communal conflicts.

He stressed that the threats were not confined to national borders, making collective action and enhanced cooperation among African countries imperative.

“Terrorism and violent extremism, transnational organised crime, trafficking in persons and arms, piracy, cyber threats, unconstitutional changes of government and communal conflicts continue to test our collective resolve.

“These threats are not confined by national borders. Consequently, no single country can effectively address them in isolation,” he said.

Matawalle called for stronger collaboration between the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities and member states, alongside improved intelligence sharing and joint and multinational military operations.

He also urged sustained commitment to the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Standby Force (ASF), noting that previous joint operations had demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated efforts in degrading terrorist and criminal networks.

The minister further warned that technological advancements were rapidly changing the security landscape, with drones, artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities increasingly being exploited for recruitment, radicalisation, financial crimes and other illicit activities.

He said African countries must therefore invest in technological innovation, research and development, intelligence capabilities and human capital while ensuring that the use of technology remained responsible and consistent with international law.

Matawalle also stressed that military responses alone could not address the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, weak institutions, inadequate access to education and social services, climate pressures and limited economic opportunities.

“Our approach to security must therefore be comprehensive. Military and security responses must be complemented by effective governance, youth empowerment, education, economic development, strengthened justice systems and social inclusion,” he said.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to the principle of “African solutions to African problems”, the minister said the country would continue to contribute to regional and continental peace support operations, counter-terrorism initiatives and capacity-building programmes.

He commended the AU and the STCDSS for their contributions to peace, security and stability across the continent, and expressed hope that the deliberations would produce practical and sustainable measures to address Africa’s evolving security challenges.

The meeting brought together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Safety and Security from AU member states to deliberate on coordinated responses to the continent’s security challenges.