admintime there are spirited efforts by the country’s detractors for so-called security sector reforms.
The message from the conference was loud and clear: African security forces and intelligence services must focus on protecting the continent’s natural resources from exploitation by foreigners and uphold the sovereignty of member states.
There was no mention of the need for the so-called security sector reforms in Zimbabwe, a mantra that is peddled by those bent not only on destabilising the country, but are also eyeing the country’s natural resources.
In their communiqué released at the end of their conference, Africa’s intelligence chiefs emphasised the need for countries to jealously guard their natural resources.
“Conference believes in the permanence of their countries’ sovereignty over their natural resources,” they said.
“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.”
We applaud CISSA for coming up with a resolution calling for the defence of the continent’s natural resources.
Africans cannot afford to continue standing on the sidelines while their resources are carted away to Europe and America to develop those continents while poverty deepens on their continent.
The results of the plunder of Africa’s resources have been there for all to see.
Conflicts, entrenched poverty, hunger and disease ravage Africa which is ironically the richest continent in terms of resources.
Is it not a disgrace that Africa has vast mineral resources but its people are the poorest?
Thousands of people died in Zimbabwe fighting not only for their freedom, but for the right to own their resources.
It would therefore be a travesty if these people’s fight was in vain.
As CISSA aptly put it, uneven distribution of resources is a recipe for conflict and the best way to address conflicts in Africa is to ensure its vast resources are fairly and evenly distributed to and among its people.
It is not a secret that most conflicts on the continent are sponsored by foreign forces who want to exploit Africa’s resources.
We need to look no further than Libya, Mali, the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo where foreign forces or their proxies have ganged up to loot, pillage and plunder those countries’ resources.
These foreign forces would want to install puppet regimes on the continent who will dance to their tune and look the other way while their resources are plundered and looted.
In Zimbabwe, they have gone on to sponsor political parties as part of their grand plan for regime change.
But through vigilance, the people of Zimbabwe have rejected such nefarious activities and, after reclaiming their land, have moved on to demand ownership of their natural resources.
We are glad that the entire continent is awakening to the fact that Africa’s resources must benefit the people.
For a long time, it seemed like President Mugabe’s voice was alone as he fought to put the question of resource nationalism on the agenda at various international forums that he has addressed.
We hope and trust that security and intelligence services on the continent will keep their eyes on the ball and ensure that the plunder of Africa’s resources is put to a screeching halt.
Scars of Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic and the DRC are still fresh and there is certainly a lot of work to be done in the intelligence and security services on the continent to thwart these foreign machinations.
But while security and intelligence chiefs on the continent were brainstorming over safeguarding the continent’s resources, is it not a shame that parties such as the MDC-T still want Western powers to drive their agenda and can go as far as hiring CIA agents to craft their policies?
This therefore calls upon the security and intelligence forces to be more vigilant.
Online Reporter