East Africa should now jointly fight terrorism

The deadly terrorist siege at a packed shopping mall in Nairobi has once again exposed East Africa’s vulnerability to terror attacks.

At least 70 people were killed and over 250 others wounded in the deadliest terrorist attack in the region since 200 people died in the US embassy bombing in Nairobi on August 7, 1998.

Terrorists have also targeted Tanzania and Uganda in the past. Eleven people were killed when the US embassy in Dar es Salaam was bombed at almost exactly the same time as the attack in Nairobi 15 years ago.

In yet another reminder that terrorists were able to strike virtually at will in the region, 74 people were killed in two suicide bombings targeting people watching World Cup matches on television in Kampala on July 11, 2010.

Since the simultaneous bombings at the heavily fortified US embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, terrorism in the region has taken a worrying turn in that terrorists now strike at soft targets with the intention to kill as many people as possible. Nothing makes this clearer than the 2010 bombings in Kampala and last weekend’s attack in Nairobi.

Although it is virtually impossible to know exactly where terrorists will strike next, heightened vigilance and intelligence can help to thwart attacks, particularly at places visited by large numbers of people. Neighbouring countries can also share information on suspicious characters moving across borders.

East African Community member countries may currently be pulling in different directions insofar as integration is concerned, but they have no choice but to work closely together when it comes to fighting terrorism. Regional and international cooperation is the most effective way to end terrorism.

Nothing can be left to chance in this day and age when conflicts tend to spill over borders and suck in innocent people who are not party to the hostilities.