An Algerian official has pledged her country’s continued commitment to Africa’s fight against terrorism, saying extremists are a threat to the continent’s way of life.
Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Salma Bakhta Mansouri said Algeria is making an active contribution to advance peace, stability and sustainable development in Africa. Mansouri spoke in December 2025 in Algiers at an expert consultative workshop on the draft Strategic Plan of Action on Countering Terrorism.
She said, “terrorism is no longer a temporary phenomenon or confined to specific geographical areas, but has evolved into a cross-border threat, adaptable and fueled by complex interactions that combine transnational organized crime, illicit economies, and illegal trafficking of resources, alongside the increasing exploitation of modern technologies,” according to the Algeria Press Service.
Algeria is not considered a hot spot for terrorism. However, its national forces have been involved in the fight against extremists. Algeria’s People’s National Army reported that it neutralized 67 terrorists and arrested 369 people on related charges in 2025. The Army also said it recovered significant quantities of weapons and ammunition, according to Algeria’s AL 24 News. In combating organized crime, the Army reported that it arrested 2,354 drug traffickers and seized 934 kilograms of cocaine and 40 million psychotropic tablets. It seized more than 2.6 million liters of fuel.
During the workshop, Mansouri said that Africa “now bears the brunt of this threat, with over 70% of global terrorism victims, in a structural crisis that undermines state authority, hinders development pathways, and fuels cycles of instability.” She said Africa needs to strengthen its presence and role as a strategic actor in international anti-terrorism efforts through a “more coherent and integrated continental approach, based on clarity of vision and the consolidation of strategic sovereignty.”