Military intelligence agencies in East Africa unite against terrorism

Representatives of intelligence agencies from eastern Africa at a forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on April 16, 2022. PHOTO | COURTESY | FDRE DEFENSE FORCE

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The fight against terrorism in East Africa will take a new shape after various military intelligence agencies agreed to sign a cooperation pact that will see them work effectively together to contain violent extremism within the region.

Over the weekend, military intelligence teams from across East Africa gathered in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, where they discussed effective ways of fighting terrorists who have left thousands of people dead.

Djibouti, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda sent representatives to the forum in which Kenya was curiously not represented. Kenya has actively been fighting terrorism both within her territory and across the border.

During the meeting, participants called for vigilance and cooperation among the countries in order to defeat the militants. Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda are worst affected by terror groups, which often cause havoc and mayhem.

According to a statement issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Defense, the military agencies signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly combat terrorism and counter anti-peace forces that pose threat to regional peace and security, The EastAfrican reports.

Sharing of military intelligence has perfectly worked elsewhere around the world but in Africa, due to dysfunctional systems, the mechanism has not often worked. There is high suspicion among certain countries and endless conflicts which hinder such cooperation.

For instance, military intelligence in Kenya raised issues about their Somali counterparts, accusing them of trading information with Al-Shabaab. The National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA] denied the allegations, accusing Kenya Defense Forces of fuelling propaganda.

In Somalia, NISA has also been battling similar claims, with the opposition and a number of stakeholders accusing the team of infiltration. However, NISA has often taken credit for a number of Al-Shabaab militants who have either been killed or arrested.

Last year, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble sacked Fahad Yasin, who is the current presidential security advisor, and served as the agency's director. Yasin, who had his victory as MP nullified by the electoral commission, is accused of meddling in the country's politics.

GAROWE ONLINE