Preface:

The world is yet to come up with one universally accepted definition of terrorism. At the United Nations efforts are still underway to reach a common definition, and the discussions have not been concluded.

In Africa, there is recognition that terrorism is taking its toll on the continent. The 1999 OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism S.3 thereof defines a terrorist act to mean,

“any act which is in violation of the criminal laws of a state which may endanger the life, physical integrity or freedom of or cause serious injury or death to any person, group of persons, may cause damage to public or private property, natural resources, environment or cultural heritage, and is calculated to intimidate, put in fear, force, coerce government, body, institution, general public or any segment thereof from doing or not doing any act, or disrupt, and create general insurrection.”

In the words of United Nations Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan,

“Terrorism strikes at the heart of everything. It presents a global threat to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and stability. Globalization brings home to us the importance of a truly concerted international effort to combat terrorism.”

That Africa, and particularly the IGAD region, needs sustainable peace and security to underpin its efforts to overcome poverty and assure speedy development is clear. Acts of terrorism, in addition to causing harm on human life and property, weaken the development momentum. It is imperative, therefore, to promote security to assure uninterrupted peace and development in our region as a contribution to stability in the continent as a whole.

IGAD member states need to take numerous measures to build their capacity to resist terrorism. Signing, ratifying and implementing international and regional conventions are only the beginning. We trust that this compendium will help member states as they move in this direction.

ICPAT
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia