UN opens office for counter-terrorism and training in Africa

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco and the United Nations on Thursday inaugurated a U.N. office for counter-terrorism and training in Africa, that’s seeing increasing extremist violence.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita warned of terrorist threats sweeping across parts of the continent.

“(Africa) is not only the new ground of returning foreign terrorist fighters, but it has also become a homeland for terrorists that perpetuated last year alone, about 7,108 attacks that caused 12,519 victims,” Bourita said.

He said the new office in Rabat will seek to “unite our efforts to deal with the complex and evolving terrorist threat.”

Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, said the office “will allow the United Nations to raise African countries’ capabilities, especially in West Africa and the Sahel, where terrorist groups threaten stability and peace.”

Voronkov spoke via videoconference.

UNOCT was established in 2017.