Calls for addressing root causes of extremism

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The African Union Commission and the U.S. mission to the union launched Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Week on Monday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The CVE Week is an event the U.S. and the African Union hold every year to enhance their partnership in fighting extremism.

In Africa, Somalia and the Sahel Region are the most vulnerable to terrorist activities.

Speaking at the African Union's headquarters, U.S. Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Alina L. Romanowski said: "It is not enough to say that we are against terrorism; we have to address the issues that fuel it."

She although the international fight against terrorism gained successes in recent years, “terrorist landscape remains more fluid, complex and diverse than ever.”

According to Romanowski, the conditions terrorists exploit for recruitment and radicalization include weak or undemocratic governments, corrupt law enforcement, human rights abuses, inept justice systems, lack of community cohesion and inadequate opportunities for the youth.

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The African Union Commission and the U.S. mission to the union launched Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Week on Monday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The CVE Week is an event the U.S. and the African Union hold every year to enhance their partnership in fighting extremism.

In Africa, Somalia and the Sahel Region are the most vulnerable to terrorist activities.

She although the international fight against terrorism gained successes in recent years, “terrorist landscape remains more fluid, complex and diverse than ever.”