By Ifeanyi Onuoha
The 18th Ordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security (STCDSS) and the 21st Ordinary Meeting of African Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Safety and Security held in Bujumbura, Burundi produced series of deliberations centered on insecurity in the land.
The session brought together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Safety and Security from across AU Member States to consider practical and sustainable measures for responding to the continent’s security realities.
At the conference, the Nigerian Minister of State for Defence , Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, made an appeal for stronger continental cooperation, intelligence sharing and interoperability among African Armed Forces to defeat terrorism, transnational organized crime and emerging security threats confronting the continent.
Matawalle made the appeal while delivering Nigeria’s address at the session saying the relevance of the STCDSS cannot be overstated at a time Africa is confronted by increasingly complex and interconnected security challenges.
He noted that terrorism and violent extremism, transnational organized crime, trafficking in persons and arms, piracy, cyber threats, unconstitutional changes of government and communal conflicts continue to test the Country’s collective resolve. These threats according to him, are not confined by national borders, adding that consequently, no single country can effectively address them in isolation.
He stressed the need for strengthened cooperation between the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Member States, as well as enhanced intelligence sharing, joint and multinational operations, and sustained political commitment to the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Standby Force (ASF).
Matawalle also drew attention to the rapidly changing nature of security threats driven by technology, including the use of drones, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities for recruitment, radicalization, financial crime and illicit activities, noting Africa must invest in technological innovation, research and development, intelligence capabilities and human capital.
He emphasized that military responses must be complemented by addressing root causes of insecurity such as poverty, unemployment, weak institutions, poor access to education and social services, climate pressures and lack of economic opportunities.
The session progressed with agreeable frameworks to foster unity, coordinated security measures and tackling emerging threats among African States.
