KUWAIT CITY, Oct 15: Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development and International Cooperation Ambassador Hamad Al- Mashaan said the State of Kuwait has been at the forefront of global efforts to fight against terrorism and radical groups, as it successfully played pioneering roles in combating terrorism at the regional and international levels. In his speech when Kuwait hosted a workshop for the East Africa Working Group emanating from the Global Counterterrorism Forum, chaired by Kuwait and Kenya; Al-Mashaan stated that the East Africa Working Group extends geographically to the counterterrorism theaters in East Africa and the Middle East that often overlap and reinforce each other.

He affirmed “the geographical race, influence, and networks put us in a good position to facilitate responses that address emerging challenges in the region. We are jointly determined to make an effective contribution to the strategic vision of the Global Counterterrorism Forum for the 2021-2031 decade to reduce terrorist recruitment and enhance capabilities through long-term strategic engagements. We look forward to building on the solid foundation established by the co-chairs, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the European Union (EU). We have accomplished a lot over the past years in terms of building bridges to eliminate the ambitions of those who have taken the path of radicalism, threaten the safety of our societies, and cause chaos to our institutions.” He pointed out that given the importance of resolving the issue of foreign terrorist fighters and following it up in the items of this meeting later, he cannot miss discussing the proactive efforts of Kuwait in cooperation with friendly countries to resolve this escalating crisis, because “we have succeeded with you in our partnership, thanks to our extended friendship and long-term alliance in various aspects.”

He affirmed the efforts of the Kuwaiti government in fulfilling the requirements of the international community in resolving the issue of foreign terrorist fighters in the region, in addition to civilians in conflict zones. He said this is done by receiving security delegations from the countries of origin concerned with fighters returning to their countries to repatriate fighters and their families to their countries via Kuwait’s air bases in the camps of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Iraq -- around 1,200 foreign terrorist fighters and their families since 2018.

Addition
He stated this is in addition to Kuwait’s co-chairmanship with Turkiye and the Kingdom of the Netherlands of the Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) group emanating from the International Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which contributed to creating a suitable climate to contain and rehabilitate terrorist fighters and their families and integrate them into their societies. He stressed that “we are racing against time to resolve this crisis. Kuwait is fully prepared to receive requests from countries in cooperation with the allies sponsoring these operations and covering all the needs.” He added that because the threats of terrorism have become an important driver for governments; the international community is now monitoring, weighing, and anticipating achievements in combating terrorism; hence, the need to take action in meetings to enhance capabilities in combating it. He confirmed Kuwait’s continued commitment to unify efforts to achieve the desired goals in the specific instruments and others within the agreed time frames.

He pointed out “This must be done in order not to put us in the crosshairs of criticism, to achieve and multiply interests in these sensitive periods of our war on terrorism, to stand on the dimensions of what is happening today in the battlefields that besiege us, and to avoid exaggeration. We have to avoid normalizing the practice of separating citizens from foreign terrorist fighters in conflict areas. I stress the significance of approaching this issue with a forward-thinking perspective that keeps up with the goals of reclaiming foreign terrorist fighters and their families and reintegrating them into their communities after they complete rehabilitation programs preceded by fair trials and serving their prison terms in the country of origin. The necessary steps must be taken following local laws.

They must be rehabilitated under the principles of human rights until sustainable peace is achieved in the region.” He highlighted the importance of the international community’s continuous support for Somalia and partners in East Africa in their efforts to disrupt the Shabaab movements, as it remains one of the most dangerous organizations affiliated with Al-Qaeda, which has caused the deaths of thousands in Somalia and various parts of East Africa. “All countries must be urged to track the causes of its continuation. The region has become a fertile soil for recruiting fighters and a source for future generations who adopt radical extremist beliefs, given that a child born in such environments is a time bomb,” he added.

By Fares Al-Abdan
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff