African leaders' summit urges action on rising militant threat

African leaders called on Thursday for firm action against a rising Islamist militant threat stretching across the continent from Kenya to Mali and pledged to furnish the tools for Africa to police its own conflicts.
Violence cast a shadow over the opening of the two-day summit of the 54-nation African Union (AU) as Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan rushed home to deal with the aftermath of a bombing in the capital Abuja on Wednesday.
At least 21 people died in the attack by suspected Boko Haram militants.
"The continent faces an increasing challenge in trans-border threats, with terrorism at the forefront," newly elected President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt told the opening ceremony in the Equatorial Guinea capital Malabo.
"We need to strengthen our cooperation and align our national policies to effectively counter this."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/26/us-afru-summit-idUSKBN0F12V320140626