African intelligence and security services meet in Sudan
June 2, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The fourth conference of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) gets underway today in Khartoum on the level of experts and observers.
All African countries as well as representatives from non-African nations and of African organizations and establishments are participating in the conference which continues until the seventh of June.
The CISSA was established in August 2004 in Abuja, Nigeria to close the existing void in the continental security architecture on intelligence matters. This was borne out of the compelling need to assist the African Union (AU) to deal effectively with multifaceted intelligence and security challenges confronting the continent.
The theme for the Khartoum meeting is “Towards enhanced stability, peace and security in Africa.”
The meeting will discuss ways to provide information in the field of intelligence and security to Africa political leadership in order to maintain peace and security in the continent. Also it will debate strengthening and building of confidence between security and intelligence organs in the continent and cooperation with regional counterparts outside African continent.
Gen Abdelrahman Kafil, the head of the preparatory committee for the conference said in a press statement that the meeting will continue for two days on the level of experts. The leaders of the security and intelligence organizations will meet on the sixth and the seventh.
The last previous meeting was in Namibia. Specialized papers will be discussed at the meetings of the experts, including a comprehensive survey of security threats in Africa.
The CISSA is affiliated to the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, which has played a major role in recent years on the current problems in Darfur, Somalia, and the Ivory Coast.
The 54 African security and intelligence delegations will visit Juba, South Sudan, and Darfur in order to inspect the implementation of peace in these regions and visit the African peacekeeping forces in Darfur.
(ST)