The Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) has declared that some activities in the social media are a national, regional and continental security threat.
The CISSA noted that in spite the many benefits of the social media, it is however being increasingly exploited by some subversive elements and negative forces to destabilize African countries.
The conference also agreed that social media represents a threat and resolved to take necessary measure to check it while at the same time guaranteeing the citizens’ rights to information.
These were contained in a communique issued at the end of the 16th Ordinary Session of CISSA which took place at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Abuja from July 14 to 20, 2019, in which the Director-Generals and Heads of Africa’s Intelligence Services noted that noted with concern, the increasing security threats experienced by some African countries and therefore resolved to support efforts by Governments to restore peace and stability in these countries.
Accordingly, the conference reaffirmed its commitment to further enhance mutual confidence among members and to exchange intelligence to serve their common objectives, including the attainment of the goal of a conflict-free Africa as envisioned by African Heads of State and Government.
While taking stock of the gains made since its 15th Conference in Windhoek, Namibia in contributing to the building of a “conflict-free African continent as per the African Union Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by year 2020, the conference extensively deliberated on the theme: Illicit Financial Outflows from Africa and Their Impact on National Security and Development’.
CISSA noted a common thread that permeated throughout all the presentations that Africa loses billions of dollars annually in Illicit Financial Outflows (IFOs), which has become a serious threat to the continent’s sustainable development, governance as well as peace and security agenda.
The conference warned that the threat of IFOs undermines the efforts to combat terrorism and the attainment of its Agenda 2063, including its flagship project of “Silencing the Guns by 2020”.
The communique of the CISSA conference stated that it examined various means by which member services could support national, regional and continental efforts to combat IFOs, such as tracing and recovery of illicit funds lodged outside the continent and the proper utilisation of the recovered assets for national development.
The Conference commended President Muhammadu Buhari for gracing the event and more importantly, underscoring the continued relevance of CISSA in the fight against transnational crime, terrorism and other security threats on the continent.
It commended the NIA, the Nigerian government and people for the excellent hosting of the event as well as reaffirmed its acceptance of the offers by Egypt and Botswana to host the 17th and 18th CISSA conferences in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
