Conference on Revitalizing Nouakchott-Djibouti Processes Kicks Off

The work of the conference on revitalizing the two Nouakchott-Djibouti processes began on 5 November in Nouakchott.

This meeting, attended by high-level representatives of African countries, aims to improve the exchange of intelligence with a view to strengthening security in the Sahel, Sahara, and Horn of Africa regions.

In his speech at the opening of the conference, the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Hanana Ould Sidi, said the launch of the two processes by the African Union aimed at strengthening cooperation in matters of security and intelligence with the aim of combating terrorism, extremism, and cross-border crime.

He stressed that the current circumstances are more complex than the circumstances which surrounded the establishment of these two processes because, he said, the activity of terrorist groups has strengthened in African countries which were safe from terrorist groups and several African countries in different regions have experienced various crises, which requires enhancing coordination and cooperation between security and intelligence services.

Mr. Hanana Ould Sidi affirmed that in accordance with the directions of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the President of the Republic, Mauritania is working to meet the challenges by strengthening cooperation in security matters, border control, strengthening military capabilities as well as promoting and strengthening military partnerships.

“Mauritania is counting a lot on the results of this conference in a way that makes these two axes more efficient and effective”, as he put it.

For his part, Mr. Sergio Ba, the spokesperson for the African Union (AU), Director of Conflict Management, expressed the AU’s appreciation for the relaunch of these two axes to face security challenges, welcoming Mauritania’s role in managing these challenges. He stressed the need to consider establishing a mechanism to deal with the deterioration of the situation in these areas, noting the effectiveness of the guidance provided by partners.

Mr. Sergio Ba called for activation and integration between the different countries of the continent to limit the role of terrorist organizations.

For her part, Mr. Zeinab Ali Kotogo, the Executive Secretary of the Intelligence Unit of the Organization, insisted on the need to intensify efforts to strengthen security in these axes in order to meet the existing challenges.

The Director General of External Security and Documentation at the Ministry of National Defense spoke of the importance of studying security and development concepts to ensure security in the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions.

He stressed the need to work to coordinate efforts to ensure security in this region, which is not isolated from the world and which is experiencing numerous crises.

In a statement to the Mauritanian news agency, Ms. Khadijetou M’barek Fall, the Ambassador of Mauritania to Ethiopia and Mauritania’s representative to the AU, stressed that the activation of this process from Nouakchott is not arbitrary because, she said, it was from this city that it was born at the initiative of the African Union and because Mauritania is one of the safest and most stable countries.

She revealed that today’s meeting, which will be followed by a meeting at ministerial level, is marked by the participation of representatives of more than twenty African countries, organizations active in these fields, and senior officials of the African Union, such as the Peace and Security Commission and the Executive Secretariat of African Intelligence. She finally affirmed that the crises facing the world, particularly the Sahel region, are the main motivation for the African Union to activate these mechanisms, which have been frozen in recent years.