Director of the African Centre of Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), Francesco Madeira hailed Monday Algeria's key role in the fight against terrorism, adding that it has a "clear vision" on the issue since 1990s.
"I hail the role that Algeria played and continue to play in the fight against terrorism. At a time when no one gauged the seriousness of the threat which Africa was facing during 90s, Algeria had already a clear vision of what was happening," Madeira said at the opening of the African Union Symposium on Victims of Terrorist Acts.
The ACSRT director said that Algeria hosted in 1999 the AU Summit during which the Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism was adopted, adding that Algeria has taken every necessary measure to organize itself in this fight, especially through the setting-up of the ACSRT.
As regards the important role of the civil society in the fight against terrorism, Madeira underlined AU's willingness to work with all the associations of the victims of terrorism to help them get organized
"We will make every effort to help these victims to move beyond the trauma and at the same time see if they can contribute in the future in the fight against terrorism," he said, adding that "we need the eyes and ears of the civil society to preserve peace and stability in the continent."
Madeira said that terrorists "have no causes" and their main objective is the "destruction of countries and societies," underlining the need to get organized, and promote dialogue and consultation with the civil society.
"We must build a strong partnership with the civil society so that terrorists could no longer find where to hide," he said.