Addis Ababa, 29 April 2015 (WIC) - The Commission of the African Union and the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have signed on Saturday, 25th April 2015 a Partnership agreement to fight against terrorism and violent extremism in Africa.

The agreement was signed by AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Smail Chergui and the Secretary-General of the OIC, Iyad Amin Madani in Istanbul, Turkey.

According to a statement issued by AU, the agreement is a follow-up to the communiqué adopted by the meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) held at the level of Heads of State and Government, in Nairobi, on 2nd September 2014.

Based on the agreement, the OIC’s contribution will be used to enhance the role of relevant institutions, including the judiciary and border management to fight against terrorism and money laundering respectively, the statement indicated.

The contribution will also be used to support processes aimed at furthering security cooperation at regional level as well as other related projects.

Accordingly, the OIC contribution and the agreement that has just been signed mark a new step in the deepening of the partnership between the AU and the OIC in the area of peace and security, in particular the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in Africa.

The two organizations plan to carry out a number of joint activities in support of the efforts to promote peace, security and stability on the African continent.

According to MoFA, the Peace and Security Council welcomed the contribution of 10 million USD made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Late King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, in support of the AU’s efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.