RABAT, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A UN office for counter-terrorism and training was inaugurated on Thursday in Rabat, as a training hub to build counter-terrorism capacities and boost cooperation in the African continent.
According to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the office will develop and deliver specialized counter-terrorism and law enforcement training programs to member states in north and sub-Saharan Africa, with initial focus on the Sahel region.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said that this inauguration "falls naturally within Morocco's vocation and engagement towards Africa."
Bourita said that four major terrorist groups are established in Africa, with a dozen of affiliated groups, active in more than 25 African countries.
The continent is not only the new ground of returning foreign terrorists, but it has also become a self-homeland for terrorists, who, last year alone, have perpetrated about 7,108 attacks and caused 12,519 victims, he added.
The economic impact of terrorism in Africa over the past 10 years has amounted to 171 billion U.S. dollars, he said.
Vladimir Voronkov, under-secretary-general of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, who was speaking via video conference, said the office will help African countries especially in West Africa and the Sahel, to develop their capabilities in fighting terror groups.
