International
Foreign cash fuelling illegal mining, terrorism in Africa, says Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has highlighted the issue of foreign funding for illegal mining and terrorism in Africa, stating that it poses a significant threat to peace, security, and development on the continent. He made these remarks at the opening ceremony of a two-day African High-Level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism organized by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the UN Office for Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) in Abuja.
Tinubu emphasized that terrorism is evolving, continuously finding ways to finance, re-equip, and re-supply itself for its sinister missions. He pointed out that billions of dollars, which could have been used by legitimate governments for societal development, are instead being diverted to fund terrorism. He particularly highlighted the connection between illegal mining and terrorism, stating that international intervention is necessary as it is outside money, not African money, that fuels illegal operations.
In combating terrorism, Tinubu stressed the need to address its root causes, such as poverty, marginalization, and social injustice. He called for concrete actions rather than empty rhetoric. Additionally, he advocated for the strengthening of existing counter-terrorism structures, such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU), the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA). He also emphasized the importance of a Regional Standby Force with a mandate to tackle terrorism.
Furthermore, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, emphasized the need for integrated security strategies to combat terrorism in Africa. He highlighted various factors driving terrorism, including organized crime, foreign terrorism financing, poverty, inequality, and prolonged conflicts. Ribadu mentioned Nigeria’s efforts in addressing the drivers of violent extremism and enhancing intelligence gathering.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, underscored the unprecedented threats faced by Africa due to terrorism. He mentioned Nigeria’s push for greater cooperation on counter-terrorism and efforts to tackle the proliferation of small arms in Africa.
UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed, called for addressing the underlying causes of terrorism and rebuilding affected communities. She emphasized the role of social exclusion, inequality, and human rights violations in creating terrorists.
UNOCT Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, praised Africa’s efforts in countering terrorism and emphasized the importance of international support for African-led solutions. He stressed that no single actor could resolve the continent’s challenges alone.
International
Zimbabwe Wins UN Security Council Seat for 2027-2028
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Zimbabwe has been elected to a non-permanent, two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, the third time the country will be represented on the body mandated to maintain international peace and security.
Voice of Nigeria reports that the other countries that secured seats around the iconic horseshoe table are Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kyrgyzstan.
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Austria and Portugal won the two seats allocated to the Western European and other States (WEOG) Group, while Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe were elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group and the African Group, respectively.
Kyrgyzstan secured the Asia-Pacific seat after defeating the Philippines in four rounds of voting.
International
Finland’s president says EU should expand to 40 states — including Canada
His comments come as the Trump administration’s actions, alongside Russia’s war with Ukraine, prompt some countries to reconsider the benefits of EU membership.
• Finland’s president Alexander Stubb
Finnish President Alexander Stubb has stressed the need for a much larger European Union, saying the 27-nation bloc should increase its membership to 40 states and named the U.K., Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland as potential candidates to join.
Stubb made the call at an energy conference in the Finnish capital on Wednesday.
His comments come as the Trump administration’s actions, alongside Russia’s war with Ukraine, prompt some countries to reconsider the benefits of EU membership.
Stubb told the Eurelectric Power Summit that “the window of opportunity” for EU enlargement “is quite short because when the war in Ukraine ends and perhaps when the U.S. administration changes, I don’t know, then people are going to take their foot off the gas pedal and start heckling about unnecessary stuff again.”
Stubb added that “European strategic autonomy or European geopolitical power” is “often based on size and scale and I think the best European policy ever has been European enlargement.”
“In this moment, we need to think big and geographically, we need to enlarge or at least create memberships which are flexible enough to bring in a sum total of 40 European states — or even non-European,” Stubb said.
Finland’s president said the EU should look to its western flank and bring the U.K., which left the bloc in 2020, back into the fold, or at least “as close as possible
.”Canada should be considered as another option, Stubb said. “Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?”
International
Iran Kuwait’s airport attack injures 63
Health ministry spokesman Abdullah al-Sanad said 25 ambulances were dispatched at Kuwait International Airport, adding that “63 injured individuals were received and distributed among hospitals.
Today Wednesday June 3: Kuwait International Airport was hit by Iranian drones.
An Iranian attack on Kuwait’s airport wounded at least 63 people on Wednesday, the health ministry said, with authorities earlier reporting one person killed.
Health ministry spokesman Abdullah al-Sanad said 25 ambulances were dispatched at Kuwait International Airport, adding that “63 injured individuals were received and distributed among hospitals.
This includes serious injuries… including head wounds, cerebral hemorrhages, amputations and injuries resulting from explosions.”
An airport source told AFP that the death in Kuwait was an Indian national at the airport.
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