Morocco highlighted before the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC) on Wednesday the key role of deradicalization as a complementary strategy to security efforts in combating violent extremism in Africa, drawing on shared African experiences and best practices.
The Moroccan delegation stated that the Kingdom has been resolutely committed to a multidimensional strategy that places development at the core of its efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
At an AU-PSC videoconference on deradicalization, the delegation highlighted the country’s commitment, reflected in initiatives such as the National Initiative for Human Development in 2025, strengthened imam training, and the creation of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulema.
These efforts are designed to promote an Islam of tolerance in response to the alarming rise of violent extremism in Africa, the delegation noted during the meeting of AU-PSC, chaired by Morocco for March.
In order to address the complex and transnational nature of this threat in Africa, Morocco positions its efforts within the framework of strong South-South cooperation with its peers on the continent, it reiterated.
On a different note, it called for encouraging member states to tackle, in a comprehensive manner, the structural causes of terrorism and violent extremism, as well as the factors that fuel and facilitate them, based on the link between peace, security, and development, as advocated by the Tangier Declaration.
The delegation emphasized the need to reaffirm the important role of women and youth, as drivers for change, in preventing and combating security threats on the continent, highlighting the necessity of prevention mechanisms tailored to refugee camps, where youth are particularly exposed to extremist ideological rhetoric.
It also advocated for strengthening prevention and early warning mechanisms to anticipate and reduce the risks of violent extremism in Africa.