We must not give in to terrorists – President Mahama

MPPresident John Mahama has called on the world to join forces to fight the terrorism cancer that has plagued the world stressing the world should not give in to terrorists.

The President believes that the world needs a concerted effect curb terrorism because no part of the world currently safe.

According to data from the Global Terrorism Database, more than 61,000 incidents of non-state terrorism claiming over 140,000 lives have been recorded from 2000 to 2014 alone.

President John Mahama, addressing the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York, noted that, “we must confront together as a united world is the threat of terrorism. No part of the world is safe.”

He added “In our sub-region, the activities of Boko Haram in North-Eastern Nigeria and the Chad basin has displaced millions of people and claimed thousands of casualties. Attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire show that all our countries are at risk.”

The president expressed worry that, “Terrorism is currently one of the gravest threats to world peace and security today,” and that, the world cannot be under any illusions “about the eminent threat to all of us even as we go about our daily activities.”

President Mahama advocated that the solution to fighting terrorism is not for countries to shut their doors to foreigners who may have genuine cause for visiting a country either for tourism, for business and for sanctuary as refugees.

Shutting the doors “is what the terrorists would want us to do to instil fear and panic in us in order that we shut our doors on the rest of the world,” the president noted.

He said, “Ghana stands in solidarity with all countries that have experienced terrorism recently – Bangladesh, Belgium, France, Germany, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, The Russian Federation, Turkey and of course the United States of America.”

President Mahama called on world leaders not give in to terrorists. “No! We must not give in to them. The terrorists must not win, they cannot win and they will not win!”