All-Africa Students Union’s 4th Africa Students And Youth Summit Held In Accra, Ghana From 28th July - 2nd August, 2014
We, the leaders of students and youth in Africa, participants in the 4th African Students and Youth Summit of the All Africa Students Union (AASU), met in Accra, Ghana from 28th July to 2nd August, 2014 to discuss important issues in relation to our continent.
Notably, the insurgence of terrorism and a recommended path to stifle its growth. Indeed, in order to address the rising issues of terrorism, we discussed the role youth and stakeholders need to play in curbing the situation and made recommendations to influence policy towards ensuring peace and sustainable development within the African continent guided by the principles of the AU work plan.
Thus, the Summit discussed the following facets of terrorism:
- Terrorism insurgence in Africa: students and youth to the rescue;
- Defining terrorism and situating the responsibilities;
- Terrorism and International hypocrisy;
- Domestic and International dimensions of terrorism;
- Human security as a source of sustainable development;
- Gender and terrorism;
- Electoral violence: the youth at the centre stage.
Therefore:
This summit has fully discussed the prime issues that erupt from terrorist actions and the consequences that are born on the youth and human development in Africa. We observed with dismay the hypocrisy of the Developed Nations that classify groups as terrorists according to their interests. They have trained and financed terrorist groups to remove legitimate governments around the world and especially in Africa. We have also become aware that the prime purpose of some of these groups is to create a smokescreen, to divert attention and interest from key questions of African Development.
1. We have established out of deliberations that Terrorism politically integrated and economically fueled action made by a person or a group of people to achieve worldwide recognition, and/or liberation from oppressive conditions, or distract public attention when greater yet more secret stakes are at hand. The most known and notorious in Africa are Boko Haram in Nigeria, El Shaabab in Somalia, and the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda, only to mention these.
2. Our summit in Accra has made comparative analysis of several causes of terrorism and hence agree that Terrorism is mainly caused by one of the following : (a) dissatisfaction of a group of people which is deprived of its rights and its auto determination ; (b) armed civil/military groups instrumentalized to serve foreign interests thus creating a smokescreen phenomenon ; (c) poverty, low education rate, poor information level and weak Afrocentric consciousness of the African masses, which together, increase the rate and highly facilitate their manipulation by ill intended entities.
3. We have noted that terrorism results in political instability, impoverishment, jeopardizing human security, endangering food and natural resource systems as well as mass manipulation.
4. We, All-Africa Student Union members, strongly recommend :
a. That African Nations come together to build a standing African Army duly empowered to collect and share intelligence and use all necessary means to bring a radical end to all terrorist activities on the Continent.
b. That African Nations foster afrocentric panafricanism, interreligious and intercultural dialogue in order bridge gaps and therefore curb extremist tendencies
c. That African Nations strengthen regional integration based on a more intensive political, economic and military cooperation, in order to track down terrorists from successfully migrating for refuge in neighbouring countries after committing crimes elsewhere.
d. That National governments ensure social justice in the distribution of the national ressources in order to prevent marginalization of any group in society.
e. Strengthen national institutions to devoid them of corruption and manipulation and task Civil Society with the responsibility of conscientizing masses about the need to
f. Reinforce patriotic nationalism
10. We believe that terrorism is by nature political because it involves the acquisition and use of power for the purpose of forcing others to submit or agree to terrorist demands. In this endeavour terrorism deliberately create and exploit fear for bringing about political change.
11. We agreed that there is a link between governance, terrorism and conflicts; we noted with sadness the numerous conflicts engulfing many African countries i.e. Central African Republic, South Sudan etc.
Therefore the Summit recommends that:
All African Governments should take concrete steps to curb this terrorist menaces by uniting their forces, resources under one leadership;
Young people and particularly the Students should be trained as trainees to educate their peers on the real and cynical motives of terrorist organizations that is not more than to conquer political power for their personal and myopic interests; disseminate information among the general population on terrorist acts;
That African governments should, as a matter of urgency, to materialize the formation of a standby African Rapid Response Forces to face and bring solutions to the challenges posed by these terrorist groups and any other threat to the security of the African continent;
That efforts should be made to create a broad platform for African all civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in other coordinate their activities in the fight against terrorist activities.
That efforts should be made to demystify terrorism by educating the people on its dogmatic and undemocratic nature and dispel the notion that it has religious objectives to protect the majority and exploited segment of society;
That African Governments should endeavour to ensure the creation of jobs for the young people and equitable distribution of national wealth; to fight corruption, cronyism and bad governance.
African leaders should make it a priority to promote and defend the interests of their people in all their endeavours, involve the youth in decision-making processes, policy development and implementation;
African governments to create an enabling environment for the young people to achieve their goals and aspirations starting from access to quality education, employments and move on to a united Africa.
The rapid integration of African countries by ensuring the free movement of people and goods, the establishment of a common African passport and monetary policy towards the creation of a single African currency.
Conclusion
13. We, the representatives of the members of our organizations, after having carefully examined all the facts stated above decided:
That the students and youth of the continent will continually be part of the peoples struggle in the quest for peaceful and better living conditions and That the students and youth will remain mobilized, organized and involved in all efforts aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism and advancing the continent.
14. We further renewed our commitments to the African Union (AU) and our goal, which is making Africa a free, safe, secure and democratic place without borders.
15. We are determined to form youth brigades in our communities to sensitize our peers and the people in general on the dangers of terrorism and the need for them to be involve in fight it.
15. Acknowledgements
The participants of the 4th Africa and Youth Summit wish to thank, once more, the Secretariat of AASU for successfully organizing this important event.
They wish, in particular, to express their heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Ghana for its continuous commitments and supports to AASU. The participants, further, appeal to other governments on the continent and the Africa Union to contribute financially in the running of the continental student movement just as the Government of Ghana is doing.
Done in Accra on 2nd August, 2014
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The All-Africa Students Union (AASU)
AASU is the Pan-African students organization formed to galvanize the young people particularly students into all the efforts geared toward the development of the African Continent. Since its inception in 1972, AASU now has presence in all 55 countries in Africa, and has played among others, an important role in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
Today, AASU is at the forefront of the fights for equal access to quality education and the continent's quests for democracy, respect of human rights, promotion of African culture, sustainable development etc.
The Union is a sub-vented organization under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in Accra-Ghana.