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By Godfrey Olukya 23-4-2013
Eleven countries in the Sahelo-Saharan region yesterday met in Bamako to discuss security in the region.
Yesterday’s meeting of heads of the intelligence services of member countries came about as a follow up to the conclusions of the consultative meeting on the enhancement of security cooperation and operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture in the Sahelo-Saharan region, which took place in Nouakchott, Mauritania,
on 17 March 2013.
A statement issued by African union, (AU) indicated that several countries participated in the meeting including, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. Also attending were representatives of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism and the
Committee of Intelligence and Security Services in Africa.
Organized by the Commission of the African Union, the meeting reviewed the security situation in the region, assessed the capacity building needs of existing national and regional structures and identified modalities for enhanced cooperation and sharing of intelligence, including in support of the implementation of the mandate of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali .
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