The Study Session on Counterterrorism, organized by the Planning Element of the North Africa Region’s Capability, in collaboration with the Egyptian Center for Peacekeeping Training, the African Center for Terrorism Studies and Research, and with the participation of experts from member states of the Capability, as well as participants from economic groups and regional mechanisms on the continent, the African Union Commission, and a number of specialized centers on the continent, commenced today, Saturday, October 28, 2023, in Cairo.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Executive Secretary of the North Afzia Region’s Capability, the Head of the Planning Element, the Director of the Center, and a representative from the Egyptian Ministry of Interior.
The study session, attended by specialists and experts in the field of counterterrorism, will continue for three days. It is worth mentioning that the African Union Commission has discussed with the groups and mechanisms the necessity of having a specialized force in counterterrorism as part of the components of peacekeeping missions authorized by the African Union, in light of the challenges faced by missions operating on the ground due to terrorist activities.
It is worth noting that the Executive Secretariat held a study session on cyberterrorism last month in Algeria, in collaboration with the African Center for Terrorism Studies and Research.
The Executive Secretariat will formulate and edit the scientific material for both study sessions in collaboration with the mentioned centers, and publish them in booklets distributed to specialists, serving as references for their benefit. These study sessions are being implemented for the first time at the Commission level to study this phenomenon and attempt to propose continental plans and strategies to address it.