Sadc steps up war on terrorism with new regional centre

Dar es Salaam. The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) on Monday launched the Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre (RCTC) in Dar es Salaam, in a fresh bid to intensify the war against terrorism.  
The establishment of the Sadc RCTC was fueled by the terrorism threat incidents in the region, Mozambique and Eswatini, in particular.
Sadc executive secretary Elias Magosi said the centre was created to ensure enhanced coordination, strengthened partnerships, as well as to foster timely response to terrorism and violent extremism within the region.
“The centre will be playing a pivotal role in coordinating the implementation of the Sadc Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and lead the review process of the strategies, including related implementation plans,” noted Mr Magosi.
Again, he added, it would be researching, assessing, analysing and timely disseminating information to National Counter-Terrorism and Prevention of Violent Extremism agencies and other relevant national stakeholders, as well as to regional, the African Union and international partners, as guide by the relevant bilateral agreements.
 This, he explained, is the most important of all because failure to disseminate information timely could have unintended catastrophic results for the member states and region.
Further, the centre would be advising Sadc on Counter-Terrorism and Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) policies, programmes and deployments within the 16-bloc member states.   “As a specialised institution, the RCTC will work with the Sadc Secretariat to complement existing efforts, and collaborate on programmes aimed at conflict prevention, deradicalisation and other aspects in the fight against terrorism,” said the Sadc boss.
While significant progress has been made in the implementation of the Sadc Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy, there is still a need for the adoption of counter-terrorism measures, taking into consideration the current security landscape and emerging threats.
 These measures, said Mr Magosi, include comprehensive legislation and policies; accelerated formulation of National Counter-Terrorism Strategies and Plans of Action and strengthening of National Counter-Terrorism Centres.  
The list of measures include strengthening of criminal justice systems through capacity building and training.
This is meant to effectively detect, prevent, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate terrorism related offences and building of capacity to curb the spread of radicalism through social media and the internet.   
This Centre will serve as a coordinating hub to advance the regional counterterrorism capacity-building efforts.
It will also advise Sadc Member States on effective counter-terrorism policies and programmes on the prevention of violent extremism and radicalization.  
Mr Magosi said they were launching the RCTC at a time when the Sadc Mission in Mozambique (Samim) is deployed to deal with the reality of terrorism and violent extremism threat in some districts of Cabo Delgado Province, in the northern part of Mozambique.
The Minister of Employment, Labour productivity and Skills Development of Botswana, Mr Machana Shamukuni, said Samim was deployed to create a secure environment; strengthen peace and maintain security, and restore law and order in affected areas of the Cabo Delgado Province.
“Its deployment remains a noble undertaking by Sadc, displaying our collective regional response to combat terrorism and acts of violent extremism,” he said.
He was speaking on behalf of the Chairperson of the Sadc Ministerial Committee of the Organ, and the Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Dr Naledi Pandor.
Tanzania’s Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr  Stergomena Tax, said with the reality of the threat of terrorism that have been witnessed in the region, the establishment of the Sadc RCTC could not have come at a better time than now.
The centre was there to ensure that there is a dedicated structure to coordinate regional counter-terrorism efforts, the Sadc ex-executive secretary explained.
Therefore, close collaboration between the Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Sadc member states and cooperating partners is at the heart of a successful implementation of the Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its Action Plan, to minimise the risk posed by terrorists.
“It is quite evident that overcoming terrorism and violent extremism will only be achieved if we work together - and the partnership must be given due weight if we are to win the war  on  terrorism,” Dr Tax said.