Terrorism dominates Arab Maghreb Union meeting

Discussions surrounding terrorism have dominated the sixth session of the Council of Interior Ministers of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) which was held in Tunis.

Tunisian Interior Minister Hedi Hidayat said: “The phenomenon of terrorism and the spread of religious extremism are dangerous in the Maghreb region and neighbouring African countries.” Tunisia, like some of the countries in the Arab region, is facing unprecedented risks that threaten its national security and political stability as well as its institutions, economic and cultural gains, he continued.

The minister said there was a “need for a joint Maghreb strategy to combat religious extremism”, calling “for cooperation and exchange of information and expertise between countries.”

The proposed Minister of the Interior in Libya’s Government of National Accord, Al-Arif Saleh Al-Khoja, stressed on the need for cooperation between countries in the region to combat terrorism and organised crime.

Al-Khoja has also called for a unified security policy in the Maghreb to fight terrorism, arms and human trafficking and illegal immigration.

The interior ministers of Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia participated in the meeting as well as the Secretary-General of the Arab Maghreb Union, Habib Ben Yahia.