Algeria hosts African seminar on fighting terrorism

Deliberations of the African ministerial seminar to combat terrorism started in Algiers on Wednesday with the participation of some 20 ministers of the interior and justice and delegations representing 45 countries.

In a speech he read at the inauguration of the two-day seminar, Algerian Prime Minister Ismael Hamadani said, "Terrorism is but a form of new acts which destabilize the stability of countries and world peace and security as well as undermining man's basic right to live."

For his part the assistant secretary general of the Organization of African Unity, Daniel Antonio, said that terrorism constitutes a grave danger to the right to live and survive, to freedom, peace and social and economic progress and countries' stability.

Assistant Egyptian Justice Minister Eskandar Ghatas, who is also the head of Egypt's delegation, said before he attended the meetings that Egypt has obtained the preliminary approval of participating ministers to adopt his country's call for convening an international anti-terrorism conference under the patronage of the United Nations.

The participants in the seminar will prepare a draft African agreement to prevent terrorism and fight it and the draft agreement will be submitted in the 35th summit of the Organization of African Unity, due to be held in Algeria on July 12 - 14.