President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 asked the international community to apply all existing laws against terrorism in a speech in Washington DC.
While delivering his speech at the US-African Leaders Summit , President Jonathan also calls for tougher sanctions against organizations, countries and individuals found guilty of sponsoring such terror groups.
According to him, the security problems plaguing Nigeria and other African countries were multi-national in scope, and tackling them should not be left on the shoulders of just 1 country, therefore the need for international collaboration in tackling the trend of .terrorism, piracy and transnational organised crimes which has taken a global dimension.
In his words: “Several African countries, including Nigeria, are now challenged by terrorism and violent extremism. For several countries in the continent, terrorism has become a real threat to social progress, peace and security. The violent and criminal activities of Boko Haram in my country have captured the world’s attention. This has been especially so since the terrorist group abducted some girls from their school dormitory in the North-Eastern Nigeria in April. Nigeria may be the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorist activities at the moment, but its affiliation with international terrorist networks, dramatically increases its capacity and reach beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Nigeria is doing everything possible to combat Boko Haram and violent extremism.While we continue to enhance our intelligence and military capacities, we are, at the same time, working on political and socio-economic solutions. We are also building partnerships, both at the regional and international levels, to combat the threat posed by terrorism in our sub-region.
In this enterprise, we are pleased to acknowledge the supportive role of the United States. The assistance that we continue to receive from the United States and our other international partners is proof indeed that partnership can multiply our strengths in addressing common challenges.
We call for an effective international sanctions regime that would hold accountable any country, institutions and individual that finances terrorism in any part of the world. This inaugural Africa-US Summit must also call for effective action and implementation of all existing international protocols on this critical issue. Because terrorism, piracy and transnational organised crimes are global in scope, greater regional and international collaboration is required to combat them. We must act in concert,” President Jonathan said.
Earlier on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, the President conveyed the same message during a bilateral meeting with American vice President Joe Biden tasking Nigeria, USA and the international community to work together in tackling Boko Haram and other terro groups.
At the meeting which took place in the Roosevelt Room in the West Wing of the White House, Vice President Biden described Nigeria as an “extremely important” ally of the United States.
Biden also promised that Nigeria had America’s unalloyed support towards tackling Boko Haram in any way possible as well as helping out with the recent threat of the deadly Ebola virus.
President Jonathan and Vice President Biden also discussed ways both countries could boost trade partnership, agriculture and electricity amongst others.
