Interview: Kenyan security experts call for global alliance to combat terrorism

The formation of a global alliance to strengthen military and political response to terrorism is an imperative as the threat mutates rapidly, Kenyan security experts said on Saturday.

During separate interviews with Xinhua, the security experts said recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali were a wake-up call to the global community to join hands and combat this menace with singular determination.

Terrorists from the Islamic State (IS) last week killed 127 people in separate locations in Paris while those from the rival Al-Qaeda group on Friday attacked a luxury hotel in the Malian capital, Bamako, where 27 people died.

Experts said the attacks were motivated by a quest for global supremacy by the two militant groups.

"The world's most dominant terror networks, Al-Qaeda and IS, have become more lethal as they compete for supremacy. They have become more technologically savvy as they recruit new fighters. Sadly, we might witness the same from Somalia based militant group, Al-Shabaab," remarked Richard Tuta, a Nairobi-based security analyst.

He challenged the international community to re-organize existing counter-terrorism measures as terrorists become more sophisticated in their modus operandi.

"Terrorists are not only networking well but are also sharing new information and tactics. We should therefore upscale our security arrangement, and learn from loopholes exploited by terrorists in Paris and Mali," Tuta told Xinhua, adding that modern terrorists are young, highly educated and agile, hence their ability to escape security dragnet and cause mayhem.

According to Tuta, fatalities in Paris and Bamako could have been less had security personnel intensified vigilance before the terrorist attacks.

"Strategic and tactical mistakes from France and Mali could have caused the latest terror attacks. In both countries, security lapses were too pronounced," said Tuta.

He challenged the international community to draw lessons from terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali, and upscale surveillance at public spaces to deter a similar occurrence in future.

"It is high time the international community formed an alliance against terrorism modeled around NATO or AU standby force. A global alliance against terrorism is key to enhance sharing of intelligence and strategy," Tuta remarked.

Tuta stressed that no single nation is immune from terrorism hence the need for global unity to combat the vice. The international community must rise above sectarian and ideological differences in order to re-energize the war against terrorism.

"We are facing what can be described as a third world war, every nation is threatened; at least now we have a common enemy that should be fought by all," said Tuta.

The terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali were a confirmation the threat remains formidable despite massive investments to combat it in different parts of the world.

Andrew Franklin, a Nairobi-based security expert, said terror threat in Kenya and neighboring Somalia is far from over, which calls for the efforts to devise new tactics to combat it effectively. Enditem