Cissa conference ends on high note

came out in resolutions made at the end of the 10th Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa conference in Harare on Tuesday.

The resolutions were read out by Director-General of the Central Intelligence Organisation Retired Major-General Happyton Bonyongwe, who assumed the Cissa chairmanship.

“Conference believes in the permanence of their countries’ sovereignty over their natural resources,” reads the resolutions.

“In that regard, appropriate intelligence focus will be kept on the politics and appropriation of the natural resources in the national interest.

“The nexus between Africa’s natural resources, development and security is part of our continent’s development paradigm and merits the attention of the African security community. It is a national security issue.”

The intelligence officers said they were guided by the values of African unity, solidarity, the sanctity of independence and the mission and objectives for which Cissa was established.

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“The conference took stock of the gains that had been made since the liberation of Africa from colonial bondage and charted a way forward that acknowledges that history and the role played by African solidarity,” they said.

“The DGs and heads of services expressed concern about the persistent instability and insecurity in some of the member service countries and the present threats emerging from traditional and non-traditional sources to security that include, among others, illegal regime changes, unconstitutional changes of government, poverty and underdevelopment, external interference, new mercenarism, terrorism and narco-terrorism, activities of armed groups and negative forces, transnational organised crimes, radicalisation, extremism, cyber crime, climate change and the impact of HIV and Aids.”

Rtd Maj-Gen Bonyongwe said the intelligence officers were “equally alive to the challenges that lay ahead, including the need to defend the continent’s natural and other resources from illicit exploitation and appropriation. It was acknowledged that there could be no development without security and no security without development.”

He said they recognised the collective efforts deployed by members to address the increasingly complex security concerns derived from internal conflicts and other threats “through the instrumentality of Cissa and in partnership with the African Union Commission”.

“In this regard, the DGs and Heads of Services reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance mutual confidence among members and to exchange intelligence to serve their common objectives,” Rtd Maj-Gen Bonyongwe said.

He said after extensive deliberations, conference reiterated its commitment to enhance functional collaboration and partnership with the African Union Commission as well as other African strategic partners.

“Going forward, conference underscored the need for enhancing capacity building of Cissa,” Rtd Maj-Gen Bonyongwe said.

“This would be achieved through the establishment of the proposed University/Institute of Intelligence and Security and related capacity building projects/activities.”