Africa Focus Group Meeting: U.S. Official Praises Morocco’s Pioneering Counterterrorism Efforts

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Morocco is a pioneer country in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, US Acting Deputy Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, Ian McCary, said Wednesday in Niamey, praising the efforts made by the Kingdom in the framework of this Global Coalition. In a statement to MAP on the sidelines of the plenary meeting of the Africa Focus Group under the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, co-chaired by Morocco, the United States, Italy and Niger, McCary stressed that Morocco is a model in the fight against terrorism and extremist ideologies and a pioneer partner of the United States. Morocco has been very successful in the fight against terrorism, it is a model that other countries are following, McCary said, highlighting the inclusive approach Morocco has put in place to defeat terrorist threats. Morocco places particular emphasis not only on the need for strong law enforcement and judicial action, but also on the need to push back against extremist ideology and the root causes of terrorism, he explained. Welcoming the Kingdom’s contribution to the success of the Africa Focus Group meeting, the U.S. official said that the United States, as well as other countries, have great respect for Morocco and its efforts in the fight against ISIS. Last year, the Kingdom of Morocco hosted the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS in Marrakech and the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was among them, he recalled, noting that more than 50 foreign ministers took part in this important event. In cooperation with Morocco, this think tank was established in Africa in order to coordinate the international community’s efforts to fight and prevent the spread of ISIS in different parts of Africa, he continued. A large Moroccan delegation led by the Director of Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Ismail Chekkori is taking part in this meeting which follows the first plenary meeting of the Group on the African continent hosted by Marrakech last May, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.