CISSA to deliberate on African land issues

WINDHOEK, 26 JUL – The outgoing chairperson of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), Sallah Abdallah Mohammed has called for stronger interventions to address African land issues.
Mohammed made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the 15th CISSA Ordinary Conference in the capital on Thursday.
According to the outgoing chairperson, land ownership is one of the challenges faced by many African countries as it is the main source of a livelihood for most people.
“In this regard, there is a need for governments to develop realistic land policies which may address land tenure reforms and regulate ownership to reduce poverty, increase productivity and preserve the environment,” Mohammed said.
He added that the severity of the land problem varies from one country to another and said land has been the main cause of violence in many countries.
“The success with which we have to deal with the problem of land will also determine the future of political stability in our countries,” he said, adding that the interests of citizens must be taken into account in an equitable way, by reaching a comprehensive settlement that includes all components of society to put an end to the land issue in Africa.
President Hage Geingob in a speech read on his behalf also mentioned some factors contributing to conflicts in Africa, towards which CISSA’s core objective of enhancing the human security landscape is geared.
“Most conflicts are fuelled by resource wars and such conflicts are eroding our continental efforts for effective prevention, aimed at reducing the suffering of African citizens, some of whom are forced to migrate to Europe,” he said.
The president also noted that these phenomena can be mitigated, should Africa follow the path of equitable sharing and management of its resources to boost local co-ownership, employment creation and poverty reduction.
Geingob said terrorism also poses a big security threat in Africa and the world, which needs to be deliberated on during the conference that is themed “Enhancing human security through equitable resource management for sustainable peace and stability in Africa”.
CISSA was formed in 2004 to provide intelligence services such as sharing information on potential security threats to the policy-making organs of the African Union and strengthening capacity for the deepening of peace and stability in Africa.
It currently has 51 member states and serves over 1.1 billion people in Africa.
The two-day conference ends on Friday.
(NAMPA)