On Monday, Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, which has been plagued by insecurity due to multiple terrorist threats, called for the creation of a regional anti-terrorism center in Africa that would serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building across the continent.
Russia, with its rich experience in combating terrorism, can contribute to the regional anti-terrorism center in Africa, as proposed by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Djibril Gningue, director of the peace and security research unit of GRADEC (the research group for participatory democracy and good governance), told Sputnik Africa.
He added that Russia is now helping with security in the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – and, if successful, could be more effective than other states.
“If Moscow succeeds in this first test with these countries, it will be able to make a much more effective contribution than the African Union’s traditional partners to the establishment and operation of this center,” Gningue stressed, adding that the center should unite the forces of AES states.
The expert noted that several African countries in the Sahel are facing terrorism without the support of the international community and described the AU Peace and Security Commission and the Economic Community of West African States as “inoperative.”
