African leaders meet in Nairobi on Counter-Terrorism summit

More than six African leaders today met in Nairobi Kenya, to discuss ways of boosting domestic efforts and international support to combat insurgencies that have killed thousands of people across Africa.

The presidents of Nigeria, Somalia and Chad, the prime minister of Algeria and ministerial delegations from Libya, South Africa and Ethiopia whose countries are fighting insurgency groups, attended the summit titled on “Counter-Terrorism”.

The one-day Summit on terrorism addressed the best mechanism to defeat terrorism and eradicate the insurgency groups in the continent, according to the African Union Peace and Security Council.

Boko Haram Islamist militants in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, killed more than 2,000 people so far this year in their campaign to impose Islamic rule, according to Human Rights Watch. On the other side of the continent, at least 179 people have died in “terrorist incidents” in Kenya, Bath-based risk consultancy Maplecroft said, while in Libya, Islamists are battling for control of the capital, Tripoli.

“The timing of the summit is important, given the focus is shifting away somewhat from Africa as a result of what’s happening in Syria and Iraq,” Paul Gabriel, East Africa analyst at Control Risks in London, said.

On the other hand, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with his Kenyan Counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta as they widely discussed the security of the two countries. Kenyan President assured to President Hassan his government’s commitment in fighting Al-shabab, as he asked Somalia to collaborate on the intelligence part in order Kenyan security forces can handle the attacks by Al Shabab in the Kenya’s territory where more than 300 people were killed in the past six months.

The summit came days after Somalia Army backed by the African Union peace-keeping Forces (AMISOM) started an offensive named {Indian Ocean} to swill out out Al Shabab from south and central parts of the country.