Ethiopia : Addis Ababa Hosts Seminar on Combating Terrorism Financing, Organized Crime

The general headquarters of the Committee of Security and Intelligence Services in Africa (CISSA) in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, hosted a seminar bringing together the continent’s directors of security agencies and heads of intelligence services, to discuss the financing of terrorism and transnational organized crime.

According to the official website of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the seminar held on Tuesday, under the theme “Financing terrorism and transnational organized crime in Africa,” was attended by around 80 delegates, led by Jackson Victor Hamata, executive secretary of CISSA, alongside experts and representatives from member states.

The event also featured distinguished speakers such as Vasu Gounden, founder and executive director of ACCORD, who spoke on structural factors driving instability and Africa’s security trajectory, and El-Ghassim Wane, former adviser to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Peacekeeping Operations.

The seminar discussions focused on developing mechanisms to cut off sources of terrorist financing, enhancing intelligence sharing, and raising the level of operational coordination to combat transnational organized crime, amid the accelerating challenges posed by the global geopolitical shift to the continent’s security and stability.

CISSA was established in 2004 as a security mechanism under the African Union, with a view to promoting cooperation among member states through information exchange and coordinated efforts to combat terrorism and organized crime, as well as supporting the African Peace and Security Council by providing the necessary data for maintaining peace and security on the continent, in addition to strengthening confidence-building measures among African security and intelligence agencies.

The seminar was held in Addis Ababa during the 39th ordinary session of the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit in February, reflecting coordinated African efforts to address critical issues such as peace, security, and development. It also underscores the growing role of CISSA in enhancing cooperation among member states, safeguarding continental stability, and confronting cross-border threats.