Fresh from accepting the 2015 Global Leadership Vanguard Award, Cameroonian activist Kah Walla outlined her vision for dealing with African terror networks, such as Boko Haram.
“We need to address the root causes of extremism in the region,” Walla told Andrea Mitchell on msnbc Wednesday.
Walla added that an ideal strategy needs to join both military and economic action. “It is marginalization that is driving people toward Boko Haram,” she said.
Walla also discussed how mismanagement and isolationism have hurt counter-terrorism efforts in the region.
“We’re dealing with governments that are fairly corrupt,” Walla said. She went on to contrast the disjointed regional governments from a “very determined” Boko Haram. Her solution? Walla advocated for a “joint military strategy,” saying that “no one country can solve this alone.” Even with a coordinated effort, Walla concluded that the international community “needs to push much harder. We need to go much faster.” On Monday, Boko Haram executed twin terror attacks, killing at least 23 people and injuring more than 100 others. Days later, more than 60 people lost their lives when sacks of bombs, planted by the terror group, exploded in Bauchi, Nigeria. The frequency of these attacks have led to speculation on how effective regional governments have been at halting the spread of Islamic extremism.
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