African Intelligence Agencies to Hold Meeting in Zimbabwe

Presidents Mugabe and Nguema of Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea along with Mai Grace Mugabe during a state visit to Harare on January 9, 2012. The African states have pledged to strengthen ties., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Intelligence gurus to attend meeting

Saturday, 04 May 2013 00:00
Zimbabwe Herald
Crime Reporter

DIRECTORS-General from African countries are expected to arrive in Harare tomorrow for the 10th Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (Cissa). The conference enters its fourth day today.

Heads of service to the conference and members of the panel of experts, private consultants and their principals are also expected to jet into the country. Scores of other delegates arrived in Harare last Wednesday for the conference which began on Thursday.

It will run until May 8. The conference, to be attended by intelligence officers from African Union member states, is being held under the theme: “The Nexus Between Africa’s Natural Resources, Development and Security.”

The need for greater co-operation in intelligence became evident in the wake of Zimbabwe’s capture of a plane-load of mercenaries of various nationalities who were on their way to stage a coup in Equatorial Guinea on March 7, 2001.

This situation provoked stakeholders in intelligence services in Africa into rethinking.
Cissa was subsequently formed in Abuja, Nigeria on August 26, 2004, bringing together intelligence and security services from 49 AU member states.

Its aims and objectives include assisting the AU and specifically the Peace and Security Commission to effectively deal with security challenges confronting the continent.

President Mugabe will officially open the conference while State Security Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi will officiate at the closing ceremony.

Delegates at the conference have so far covered various topics.

On Thursday the delegates were addressed by the chairperson of the panel of experts, Colonel Boualem Bendehina and the Central Intelligence Organisation Deputy Director Aaron Daniel Tonde Nhepera.

The delegates would cover several other topics as the conference continues.
The directors-general of intelligence of China and Italy are also expected to attend the conference that comes at a time when some western nations are clamouring for security sector reforms in Zimbabwe. AU chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Cissa executive secretary Mr Isaac Moyo are also expected to attend.

Cissa was formed in April 2004 to promote security-related policies and programmes that encourage peace, stability and development.

It was established in response to African countries heads of states and governments recommendation and is an arm for the African Union mandated to provide the union with security information.

Cissa’s main objective is to collect information on the continent and supply the AU with such information instead of leaving that role to other organisations.