Africa security chiefs brief AU on developments in fighting terror

Africa Security Chiefs converged in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from January 15-18, to deliberate on how best to provide the African Union Commission and member services with intelligence to assist in decision making. The meeting was organised by Bureau of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA). The CISSA headquarters are in Addis Ababa. The Bureau of the CISSA Conference comprises the current, outgoing and incoming Chairpersons of CISSA as well as Regional Chairpersons and Regional Vice-Chairpersons from the five CISSA Regions. The Bureau is composed of 13 members. Brig. Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita, the Secretary General of Rwanda’s National Intelligence and Secretary Services (NISS) is the current chairperson of CISSA. According to a statement from CISSA, Nzabamwita accompanied by members of the Bureau briefed the African Union Peace and Security Commission (AUPSC) on recent developments in the fight against terrorism. “The Bureau also briefed the AUPSC on the future security requirements that CISSA could provide in dealing with security threats and conflicts confronting the continent,” the statement reads in part. The presentation was the first of its kind to be attended by the entire bureau. “The AUPC recommended that CISSA should provide it with similar briefings at a high level at least twice a year,” the statement added. One of CISSA’s key mandates is to serve as an intelligence exchange of Africa on various threats confronting the continent. CISSA has also been at the forefront of fighting neocolonial policies and sanctions against African governments by the West. Notably, CISSA’s strong protest at the height of the arrest of the former NISS Secretary General by the British influenced his release and the Organisation’s relentless fight against the illegal and unfair economic and trade sanctions against Zimbabawe and Sudan, recently saw the US partially drop some of the sanctions against the latter. CISSA, that was created in 2004 is the brain child of African Heads of State. Ethiopia offered prime land close to the AU headquarters and Equatorial Guinea finance the construction of the CISSA headquarters. Ground-breaking is scheduled for this year on the sidelines of the AU Summit which takes place January 31, 2017.

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Africa security chiefs brief AU on developments in fighting terror