North African states meet on al-Qaeda terror threat

Cooperation, coordination and the sharing of information and resources are all at the heart of intelligence-led policing and counter-insurgency operations, whether at interagency or international levels. Threats shared and fought together make the battle much easier. It is therefore heartening to see seven North African countries holding talks today in Algeria to plan a coordinated response to al-Qaeda following a dangerous rise in the terror threat in the Sahara-Sahel region (shown above in yellow and orange, map courtesy of Wikipedia). The conference "indicates our shared will to take adequate and suitable steps in a coordinated manner" in response to the terror threat, "which has seen dangerous developments", said Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci.

An al-Qaeda offshoot in North Africa, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim), along with other criminal groups, has exploited the vast spaces of the Sahara and Sahel to hide from authorities after launching attacks or kidnapping foreigners. "Obviously, putting into place effective and multifaceted border cooperation between our countries is crucial," Medelci said before he and his counterparts or their deputies from Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania and Niger began talks behind closed doors. Medelci also condemned growing links between terror and criminal groups in the region that has seen a rise in weapons and drug smuggling.

• "Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)", Anti-Defamation League, 2010.
• "Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb", Council on Foreign Relations, 7/21/09.
• "Islamist Terrorism in the Sahel: Fact or Fiction?", International Crisis Group, 3/31/05.
• "Maghreb" overview, LookLex Encyclopedia, 2010.
  
• "Sahara" overview, PBS, 2010.
  
• "Sahel" overview, PBS, 2010.