The conference titled “The Challenges Facing North Africa in the Face of Regional Terrorism” was held on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, at Universidad ORT Uruguay in Universidad ORT Uruguay.
The presentation was given by Dr. Alfonso Soria Mendoza, chargé d'affaires at the Colombian Diplomatic Mission in Algeria and visiting professor in the Bachelor's Program in International Studies at the School of Management and Social Sciences.
The event was part of the Department of International Studies' lecture series.
Soria suggested moving beyond the realm of information and into that of knowledge, with the aim of applying it to specific situations. He began by addressing important current issues.
Charlie Hebdo
“The right to think differently is fundamental. I can’t understand how some people can come to a newspaper and undermine freedom of expression, which is fundamental,” said Soria.
There is a serious political problem involving the marginalization of certain groups of immigrants. Over the course of this semester, far-right parties have gained ground by promoting a negative message centered on survival.
The speaker noted that attacks such as those on Charlie Hebdo do not represent values or a political party, but rather the anti-values of the population. And history has taught us that we cannot base our work on anti-values, said Soria.
He added that what happened with Charlie Hebdo is not representative of a people or a society. Civil movements are driven by ideas and the need for change. There is a form of terrorism associated with North Africa, the expert said, but it is not part of their reality.
Immigration
Terrorist groups exploit regional, cultural, and political shortcomings to promise people a better life and take advantage of them. European Union countries have been unable to come up with a concrete solution.
Regarding human trafficking, Soria said, “We are taking a step backward, back to the era of slave ships during the colonization of Latin America.”
All of this benefits illegal groups. The key is to know where their affiliates are located, as they often come from failed states or countries in conflict, such as Syria.
Overview of North Africa
On March 18, 2015, two armed men entered the Bardo Museum in Tunis and, for religious and other unknown reasons, began killing tourists. “What were these two men like?” the speaker asked. “Young and wealthy. Neither from the suburbs nor marginalized by society.”
“Tunisia needs tourism, so it’s hard to understand. How could this have happened in a country that was making progress?” said Soria.
“These issues lead me to conclude that something is happening in the region. It’s spreading to the Americas, the Middle East, and all the way to India,” he said.
“How will this affect Africa? How can we understand what is happening in this region through these examples?” he said. “We must bear in mind that North Africa has been experiencing significant political instability since the events of the Arab Spring.”
The Arab Spring gave rise to certain movements that continue to exist today because their goals—such as achieving general well-being, improving the status of women, and ensuring access to education and technology—were not met.
Islam in Europe
"One of the major problems regarding terrorism in North Africa is the presence of poorly integrated migrants in Europe," said Soria.
When analyzing the case of Syria, the expert added that those fighting there come from places like Belgium or Great Britain. In other words, one of the main sources of the problem lies in the failure to integrate the wave of immigration to Europe in the 1960s.
"It is the European states themselves that are trapped by this problem," the expert noted, "because they do not know how to design public policies that would discourage young people from getting involved in this kind of problem."
“These are people who haven’t been properly assimilated or integrated. It’s the problem of creating ghettos within cities,” said Soria.
https://youtu.be/iNCNqaW-PO4