Report on IGAD Conference on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism
UN Conference Centre, Addis Ababa
24-27 June 2003
1. Introduction:
The Conference took place at the initiative of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with the technical assistance of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and financial support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Gesellschaft (GTZ). Delegations from the member states of Djibouti , Ethiopia , Kenya , Somalia , Sudan and Uganda attended the three day conference, which took place at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia from 24-27 June 2003. The IGAD Secretariat took the initiative to organize the conference in response to the increasing acts and threats of international terrorism in the IGAD region.
2. Opening session:
The opening session was chaired by Mr Daniel Yifru, Director Political and Humanitarian Affairs Division of IGAD.
The meeting was opened by H.E. Ato Ali Sulaiman, Ethiopian Vice Minister of Justice, who welcomed the participants to Ethiopia . He reminded the meeting that the IGAD sub-region had been vulnerable to terrorist activities well before the September 11, 2001 tragedy in the United States of America . He noted that, apart from the destruction of property and loss of life resulting from terrorism, countries of the sub-region were stretching their scarce resources to protect their citizens and ensure the security of their institutions against terrorism. The speaker noted that Ethiopia was at the forefront of supporting the signing and implementation of various conventions to combat and prevent acts of terrorism. The Minister further stated that it was imperative for member states to work together and not to allow terrorism to divert attention or resources from the common agenda to alleviate poverty. In this context regional mechanisms constituted a vital platform for collective action against terrorism. Through consultation, member states will be able to improve their security arrangements, especially within and along the border areas. The Vice Minister concluded by offering the support of the Ethiopian Government towards the success of the conference.
Ambassador HB Attalla, Executive Secretary of IGAD then delivered the keynote address, welcoming delegates and expressing profound thanks and appreciation to the Government of Ethiopia for hosting the conference and to IGAD partners, the ISS and the GTZ for their technical and financial collaboration. He also thanked IGAD Member States for their positive response to the conference invitation.
Amb. Attalla noted that the rationale for the IGAD Conference on the Combating and Prevention of Terrorism was to follow up and implement what has been agreed upon at the continental level by AU member states, including the member states of IGAD. Most recently the Government of Sudan had tabled the issue of countering international terrorism during the IGAD Council of Ministers Meeting in January 2002. The recommendation from that meeting was that the issue needed further deliberation and input, hence this meeting of experts from the relevant Government departments namely, the Police, Military, Security and Foreign Affairs, to develop a sub-regional Plan of Action to Prevent and Combat Terrorism.
The speaker reminded delegates that IGAD member states had been victims of repeated and deadly terrorist attacks long before the September 11th attacks on the USA . These actions had cost many lives and destroyed considerable property. He noted that the IGAD region is seen as a global hot spot in terms of terrorist activity that adversely affects the region as a whole. Turning to the meeting at hand Amb. Attalla stated that the aim was to have representatives of the various enforcement agencies engage and thereby raise awareness of the issue. The emphasis was therefore on collaboration (including the exchange of information) on the sub-regional and bi-lateral levels. This would include border control (aimed at controlling the illicit trafficking of arms and drugs) and regulation of the financial sector, including the movement of funds. There was already a degree of cooperation between member states and with development partners in the fight against international terrorism, for example, the USA-led Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa. Amb. Attalla concluded his presentation by noting that although most IGAD member states were signatories to the various international conventions against terrorism, much remained to be done.
Ambassador Saïd Djinnit, Interim Commissioner for Peace, Security and Political Affairs of the Commission of the African Union recalled that the tragic and unprecedented events of September 11 2001 had profoundly shaken the world at large. In response, the African Summit in Dakar on 17 October 2001 adopted a declaration against terrorism and, at the initiative of Sudan a month later, a special session of the OAU Central Organ was held, symbolically in New York , to discuss the issue of terrorism. Even before this, in 1992, the OAU had underlined the dangers of extremism. These efforts culminated in the adoption in 1999 of the OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, in Algiers (Algiers Convention), which entered into force on 6 December 2002 . Amb. Djinnit also drew the attention of delegates to the results of the High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting in Algiers , September 2002 where a continental Plan of Action was adopted , which could inform the deliberations of the IGAD workshop. The Plan was based on the provisions of the Algiers Convention and the measures set out in the UN Conventions and Resolutions. It provided for strategies in the areas of police and border control, legislation and judiciary, suppression of terrorist financing, exchange of information and the establishment of an African Center for the Study and Research of Terrorism in Algiers . Most recently the Interim Commission of the African Union (AU) had completed a draft protocol for consideration by the forthcoming AU Summit meeting in Maputo during July 2003. The Draft Protocol proposed an implementation mechanism for the Plan of Action, specified the role of the Commissioner in charge of Peace and Security and provided for the role for regional mechanisms. Amb. Djinnit appealed to those IGAD Member States that had not yet ratified the Algiers Convention to do so as soon as possible and concluded by applauding the IGAD initiative to translate the continental Plan of Action into a regional plan.
The Chairman thanked the speakers, noting that four out of the seven IGAD Member States had already ratified the Algiers Convention, and that this meeting would help in motivating the remaining member states to deposit their instruments of ratification as soon as possible.
3. Election of the bureau and briefing to participants:
Following consultations by the Heads of Delegations the Chairman announced that the bureau would be as follows:
a. Chairman Ambassador Beshir Abu Sitta, Head of Delegation from Sudan
b. Rapporteur: Mr. Byakagaba Abbas, Head of Delegation from Uganda
The chairman then briefed participants about the questionnaire circulated to the delegations before the workshop and requested them to complete it for submission.
Dr Jakkie Cilliers , Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) then outlined the programme and explained the process by which the workshop would draft a Plan of Action on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism in the IGAD region.
Following the conclusion of the opening session and election of the bureau the meeting reconvened in closed session.
4. The Nature and Scope of Terrorism – Recent Global Developments:
Dr Monika Wohlfeld, Head of External Co-operation, of the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) began her presentation by noting that it was difficult to establish the scope of terrorism. The US State Department estimated there have been more than 9 000 international terrorist attacks from 1981 to 2000. While the number of terrorist attacks had declined in Europe , they were on the increase in Africa , Asia and Latin America . Dr Wohlfeld made a distinction between extremist terrorism and separatist terrorism. Extremist terrorists have been the focus of policymakers’ attention because they usually aimed to cause large numbers of casualties. Separatist terrorism was also a threat in multi-ethnic societies, but sympathy and support of communities was required to sustain their activities, thus large numbers of casualties were not accepted . While there was a growing interest in the potential link of terrorist groups to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), there were more terrorist attacks using small arms than more sophisticated weapons. She noted that the linking of terrorism to so-called ‘rogue’ or ‘pariah states’ was the result of the Western focus on the nation-state rather than on the modern nature of transnational terrorist networks which were more difficult to identify and combat.
The speaker noted that lawless weak states evident in some regions in Africa provided an opportunity where terrorist organizations could hide and train recruits easily. The increased focus on terrorism and related problems such as the small arms trafficking, organized crime and money-laundering in the so-called developed world may see organized criminal groups and terrorist organizations moving their activities to states that could not or would not address these issues. State policies of repression may create further support for terrorism, which was why counter-terrorist measures must not conflict with the protection of civil liberties. Dr Wohlfeld noted that there was greater scrutiny of steps taken by states to prevent and counter terrorism, but also increased assistance to them. She drew the attention of delegates to the UN Counter Terrorism Committee which had three phases of assistance to (1) national legislative frameworks (2) machinery for executive implementation, and (3) international co-operation. States tended to seek assistance in the second phase, but the legal work of phase one also needed attention. The OSCE had developed an Action Plan for its member states reflecting international commitments, as well a specific action plan for Central Asia . It had created a unit to track terrorism and related issues and act as a resource center for the OSCE missions, with experts placed in various parts of organization. Action focused on pragmatic areas: policing, border security, human rights and terrorism, terrorist financing, with projects and workshops (e.g. on travel documents) adjusted for the needs of specific member states. The OSCE had consulted with the AU and had offered to share its experience and expertise with other regions.
During the discussion participants discussed the balance between countering terrorism and protecting human rights. This required a broad mandate and definition of security, which included protection of human rights. In the OSCE counter-terrorist activities had included studies of religion and belief in democratic societies, early warning and responses to intolerance, a handbook on human rights and terrorism, the issue of freedom of the media in reporting on terrorism. The speaker noted that there was no proven causal link between poverty and terrorism and that separatist terrorism also occurred in multi-ethnic societies.
More recently the OSCE received a mandate to work with states outside of the OSCE area and, for example, was discussing possible assistance in setting up the Center for Terrorism Research in Algeria as reflected in the AU Plan of Action.
5. Weak States as a Conducive Environment for
Terrorism:
Dr Moustafa El Said Hassouna, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (IDIS) addressed the issue of weak states as a conducive environment for terrorism. He referred to Kenya ’s Suppression of Terrorism Bill as an example of the kind of measures that states can take to combat terrorism. The Bill was necessary as part of the campaign by the Government of Kenya to participate in the global campaign against terrorism.
Noting that a number of countries in the IGAD region were weak, the speaker drew an analogy between this situation and the decaying and weak states of Europe in the mid-20th Century. According to Dr. Hassouna the new dictatorships of the 21st Century were emerging from terrorist cells, not from political parties in the region as was the case in some countries in East Africa in the past. The speaker noted that terrorist organizations may not have anything against weak states, but they were places where attacks on powerful states were possible, for example as happened with the attack US Embassy in Nairobi . Dr Hassouna noted the following features of weak states: weak enforcement; porous borders; disputed authority and intense competition for political power; vast areas of territory outside state control; international marginalization; and corrupt officials that, amongst others, undermined the banking system.
The speaker went on to note that weak states were generally also extremely poor states, which made it difficult to increase spending on defence and security when spending on education, health and social services were more urgent needs. For example, was the cost of phone-tapping equipment worth the results that could be achieved in vast countries like Sudan , with almost no infrastructure beyond the capital cities? What weak states needed most was to build their institutional capacity. Dr Hassouna noted that the IGAD region was starting to look at the problem in a very different way. Instead of thinking “your insecurity is my security, your underdevelopment is my development”, the more prosperous nations now realized that “your insecurity is my insecurity”. State weakness represented a continuum and some were making more effort than others to strengthen their capacity.
During the subsequent discussion participants noted that weak states may be able to pass legislation to combat terrorism, but they were unlikely to be able to implement it. Legislation was just a first, but necessary, step. Another area discussed was the lack of an internationally accepted definition of terrorism with the attention of delegates being drawn to the common African definition to be found in the Algiers Convention.
6. Terrorism and the Arms Trade – Identifying the Link in the IGAD Region
Mr Nelson Alusala, Senior Researcher on East and Central Africa, ISS reported that the Horn of Africa was flooded with small arms and light weapons to an unparalleled extent in Africa. He outlined factors fuelling the demand for weapons in the region, which include individual insecurity due to weak security structures, a “culture of violence” in certain areas of the sub-region, fierce competition for resources, selective arming of specific communities which leads to a system of communal security divorced from state control and political instability and ethnic mobilization. Methods of arms transfer in the region included legal imports that may be diverted from agreed end users, misuse by licensed individuals or theft from government stocks; the “grey” market where covert arms transfers or government arming of sub-national groups; and the illegal market which had been flooded with weapons after the end of the Cold War.
Turning to the issue of response, he noted that international and regional efforts to control the problem included the UN Plan of Action to Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects, 2001; the OAU Bamako Declaration of a Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, 2002; the Algiers Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, which included specific commitments to monitor illicit small arms and light weapons; and the Nairobi Declaration on the Proliferation of Small Arms, 2000. Long terms solutions to the problem included: more effective disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes in post-conflict countries; enhancing conflict resolution processes for Sudan, Somalia and the Great Lakes region; voluntary weapons collection programmes and destruction of surplus stocks; and increased collaboration between member states, IGAD, the AU and the UN on this issue.
During the subsequent discussion participants elaborated on the link between small arms proliferation and terrorism, concluding that the easy access to small arms made this the weapon of choice for terrorist attacks. There was no causal relationship between the proliferation of small arms and terrorism, but small and light weapons were a means of committing terrorist acts, for example, the Nairobi bombers used pistols to scare away the security guards before planting the car bomb outside the US Embassy. One delegation drew the attention of the meeting to rural based terrorists in the region, such as the Lord’s Resistance Army, as the debate tended to focus on urban terrorism. Should countries in the IGAD region be declaring lists of terrorist groups or should they wait for the United States or other powerful outsiders to define who the terrorists are in the region? Another issue that was raised was the role of arms manufacturers.
The attention of delegates was drawn to the UN Programme of Action, 2001 which contained elaborate technical specifications for end-user certificates, marking of arms, and other controls on arms manufacturers.
The discussion concluded that there needed to be a holistic approach to addressing terrorism, because the same unemployed, disaffected youths were also likely to be involved in trafficking drugs, small arms and money-laundering.
7. Organized Crime and Money-laundering in the Horn of Africa
Mr Gysbert Engelbrecht, Legal and Legislative Researcher, ISS focused attention on the different aspects of organised crime, money laundering and problems in the banking sector in the Horn of Africa. In this regard he highlighted examples of the types of organized crime and money laundering that had an impact in the region. Problems in the banking sector were also noted , as well as suggestions on how such situations could be addressed. The paper concluded that in order to combat the problems associated with these three phenomena, it was not enough to institute proper legislation and regulations. These laws and regulations should also be effectively enforced, which required the political and resources to do so.
Much of the subsequent discussion focused on the banking sector. The irony was noted that countries in the region had been encouraged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to liberalize the financial sector, but now the West wanted to re-regulate the banking sector. Since banking liberalization had taken place, the number of unviable banks proliferated and this had increased the problem of money-laundering. While IMF requirements (which includes monetary policy and the banking sector) placed a lot of pressure on local institutions to be competitive, local banks may need some protection to become more competitive before they were exposed to global competition.
In discussing the linkage between between money laundering and the financing of terrorism in the region the attention of delegates was drawn to a number or recent UN and other reports that had established such linkages in, for example, the trade of rough diamonds from conflict areas.
In conclusion delegates noted that a strategy to suppress terrorist financing in the Horn of Africa needed to be open and creative – exchanges may be in goods (through barter) and occur in the informal sector, not just through the formal monetary and banking systems.
8. Summary of international and regional obligations
Ms Kathryn Sturman, senior researcher ISS gave a summary of the key documents contained in the compendium of international and regional legal instruments relevant to the prevention and combating of terrorism that had been distributed by the Institute. She drew attention to the definition of terrorism contained in the OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, 1999 and specifically Article 3(1) which excludes liberation struggles from this definition. Article 22 refers to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 1981, which upheld equality before the law, the right to a fair trial, protection from torture, arbitrary arrest and detention and freedom of association, assembly, speech and movement. Key aspects of the AU Plan of Action, 2002 included the obligation of regions such as the Horn of Africa to establish regional contact points and reporting mechanisms to the AU Peace and Security Council. The UNSC Resolution 1373 obliged all member states to suppress financing of terrorist acts, prosecute or extradite perpetrators of terrorist acts and other measures, progress on which had to be reported to the Committee of the Security Council (CTC).
A range of UN Conventions from 1963-1997 criminalized international terrorist acts such as hijacking and sabotage of aircraft and ships, taking hostages, assassination and kidnapping of diplomats and bombing public places. There were also agreements on the control of materials used in terrorist activities, such as nuclear material and plastic explosives. The UN Convention on the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism, 1999 called for tighter banking regulations and for funds intended for terrorist activities to be seized or frozen. Member states were encouraged to use forfeited funds to compensate victims of terrorist attacks. The Palermo Convention on Transnational Organized Crime criminalized participation in an organized criminal group; defined money-laundering and corruption in detail and called for a comprehensive range of measures concerning inter alia extradition, mutual legal assistance, training, and victim compensation. The Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental organization, had made 40 recommendations on money-laundering and 8 special recommendations on terrorist financing, which were included in the compendium to assist in drafting the IGAD Plan of Action.
9. Presentation of IGAD draft Implementation Plan:
Anneli Botha, Senior Researcher, ISS, referred to the various international and regional instruments described in the previous session as guidelines for the development of a specific Implementation Plan for the IGAD region. She underlined the importance of co-ordinating the plan with efforts at national, regional and international levels and briefly reviewed a zero draft action plan. She made a plea for a strategic rather than a narrow military response to countering terrorism in the IGAD region, touching on the impact that such an approach would have on regulation of the NGO and related sectors as well as the requirement for the engagement of civil society and the provision of information.
General measures which a plan should contain included: ratification of all relevant regional and international legal instruments; harmonization and development of a national legislative framework; identification and promotion of interaction between the various actors such as between the police, military, and immigration officials; and a strategy to address the root causes of terrorism. Specific measures were needed on: policing and border control; financing of terrorism; information exchange;
protection of human rights; and enhancing public support through education. It was important not to exclude the role of charities in these programmes. Concluding her presentation Ms Botha noted that in considering how to establish a database on terrorism for the region, member states should try to build on the existing IGAD Early Warning Unit, CEWARN. During the following discussion further explanation was given about the questionnaire that was circulated to member states prior to the conference. The purpose of the questionnaire was to assist governments in the sub-region to identify their own needs, strengths and weaknesses and allow IGAD to compare and co-ordinate the progress of member states in countering terrorism.
The meeting concluded at 18:30.
10. Country reports:
The meeting reconvened at 08:30 on Thursday 26th June 2003 with brief reports from member states. The following are extracts from each country report.
10.1 Ethiopia:
Ethiopia, as a victim of terrorist attacks in the last ten years, had been fighting terrorism without support from the international community. This was why it welcomed the global consensus against terrorism after September 11th. Ethiopia was already party to the various UN Conventions and Protocols concerning safety of civil aviation, including the Convention Against the Taking of Hostages, 1979, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, 1973 and the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, 1997. Ethiopia had been one of the driving forces behind adoption of the Algiers Convention which it had ratified earlier in 2003. Ethiopia strongly supported UNSC Resolution 1373 and had reported to the Counter Terrorism Committee. The Ministry of Justice had prepared a Legal Memorandum to facilitate the enforcement of the relevant UN Conventions. The National Bank of Ethiopia had instructed all commercial banks and financial institutions to scrutinize the accounts and transactions of their clients. The National Bank had blocked individual bank accounts detected at the Harar branch of Dashen Bank and the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia linked with the Barakat International Companies (BICO), which was known to be involved in the financing of terrorist activities. Ethiopia had tightened its border control security. The Ethiopian Penal Code of 1957 criminalized acts committed to serve terrorist objectives. Penalties were rigorous and could include capital punishment. The Ethiopian Justice and Legal System Research Institute was currently revising the Ethiopian Penal Code, including criminalizing the commission of a “terrorist act”, which was expected to be promulgated by the Parliament in the near future. Ethiopia continued to play an active role in fighting terrorism through IGAD and the East Africa Police Chiefs Committee (EAPCCO).
10.2 Kenya:
Kenya was party to all of the anti-terrorism instruments which had been put in place at the international and continental level. In the recent past, Kenya had twice been a victim of terrorist attacks: the August 1998 bombing in Nairobi and the bombing in Mombasa in November 2002. The idea that the intended targets were foreign interests had never been a solace to the innocent victims of these heinous acts. Recent terrorist threats had adversely affected the economy, in particular the tourist industry. The Suppression of Terrorism Bill would soon be debated in Parliament. The Government was also preparing an Anti-Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Bill. Other measures taken include: the creation of an Anti-Terrorism Police Unit; review and tightening of laws on firearms; tightening immigration rules; enhanced co-operation with neighbouring countries’ security agencies in exchange of information; a computerized system for travel documents; enhanced border control and surveillance; continued engagement with the peace processes of Sudan, Somalia and the Great Lakes to stabilize the region.
The presentation included a number of suggestions for the IGAD Plan of Action such as: the need to devise a training programme for officers dealing with issues of terrorism; a national contact person should be identified in each member state to follow up on the common approach of IGAD; a protocol could be drafted to incorporate the common measures the group agrees upon into a legally binding document; resources for capacity building and technical assistance needed to be mobilized; the IGAD Secretariat should be mandated to continue co-ordinating efforts on this issue and the group present at the meeting in Addis Ababa should reconvene within three months to finalize the Plan of Action and the questionnaire that has been circulated .
10.3 Somalia:
The Transitional National Government of Somalia (TFG) was aware that extremism and terrorism was not a new phenomenon, although so-called Islamic extremism in the form of El-qaida, El-itihad El-Islaman were today the focus of attention. From the point of view of Islam, a religion of peace, terrorist groups had nothing to do with the religion, as they terrorize not only the international community, but their own kith and kin, for example, in Algeria, Sudan and Somalia. While it was alleged that Somalia harboured such terrorists including training fields and organizational links to Al Qaida, this had been disproved by independent media investigations and by governments who are targeted by these terrorists, such as the USA. Due to Somalia’s feeble government and lack of resources, the delegation felt that it was in no position to promise that it could stop terrorist groups, but the TFG promised to spare no effort in fighting this evil. The TNG was not alone in this, but had the support of civil organizations, such as the Ismail Jumale’s Human Rights Organization.
The delegation made the following proposals: establishment of a monitoring office in Somalia, which may be under the joint auspices of the UN and IGAD, with the aim to create small units trained to combat terrorist groups in Somalia; establishment of border control units and observation posts at coastal towns and villages as well as mobile operational units who can respond to emergencies. This monitoring office should communicate with the countries bordering Somalia to inform them of the daily situation in the country. Financing such a project would be cheaper and easier than continuing to send patrol ships and aircraft over Somali territory. This was not to say that these patrols should stop, but that they could be supplemented by this proposal. Such assistance should be seen as a conflict prevention measure to benefit the region and the world at large.
10.4 Sudan:
Sudan unequivocally condemned the terrorist attacks committed on September 11, 2001. Co-operation between Sudan and the United States in combating terrorism started well before these events. Sudan was now party to all international and regional conventions relating to the prevention and combating of terrorism, for example: the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism, the OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism; the OIC Convention on Combating Terrorism, the International Convention for the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism; and the International Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. Sudan initiated the idea of discussing terrorism within the framework of IGAD, which led to the adoption of a resolution on the subject by the IGAD Summit in January 2002. On the national level, Sudan had cooperated with the international community, for example by extraditing Carlos (the Jackal) to France, Osama Bin Laden in 1996 and hijackers of Ethiopian planes to Ethiopia. Laws promulgated included the Terrorism Combating Act, 2000, the Banking Regulation Act, 1991, and amendments to the Passport and Migration Act. It had also adopted measures to review all records of aliens in the country, created specialised Counter-Terrorist Units, and enhanced monitoring and control of entry points to the country. A Co-ordinating National Technical Committee had also been created comprising seven departments specialized in combating terrorism. On 14 June 2003 the Minister of Justice created a Prosecuting Bureau for the Combating of Terrorism whose jurisdiction would include the Combating of Terrorism Act, 2000 and international conventions, treaties and protocols to which Sudan is party.
While Sudan had gained experience in operational capacity, it still required technical assistance in the following areas: building national and specialized information networks; implementation of the civil registration project; assistance in developing biological and chemical materials and weapons search technologies; training and support for the Counter-Terrorism Unit in the Ministry of the Interior.
10.5 Uganda:
The people of Uganda had had bitter experiences of terrorist atrocities committed by terrorists operating within the country but with bases outside the country, such as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Allied Democratic Force (ADF). The ADF was responsible for 48 bomb blasts in Kampala city and other urban centers. In rural areas they were responsible for the deaths of over 5 000 innocent lives. The LRA largely operated in rural areas and has been involved in gruesome massacres, abductions of children and mutilations. The Uganda Government had established a Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force, comprising of the Department of Military Intelligence, the Police Criminal Investigation Department and Special Branch, the External Security Organization and the Internal Security Organization, which has greatly curtailed the menace of these terrorist groups. Parliament also passed the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2002. Urgent measures had been taken to implement UNSC 1373. The East African Community countries had established joint committees to strengthen collaboration on combating terrorism between Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda was ready to work with other IGAD member states to ensure a coordinated regional effort.
In light of heightened threats of terrorist attacks in this region, the delegation
recommended (1) that IGAD member states should mobilize the necessary resources and political will to implement the resolutions of this conference; (2) attempts should be made to address the root causes of terrorism, such as poverty and historical injustices; and (3) IGAD should also put emphasis on the local manifestations of terrorism, such as the LRA.
10.6 Djibouti:
In line with the spirit and objectives of UNSC Resolution 1373, the Djibouti Government established the National Committee for the Campaign against Terrorism by Presidential decree on 3 October 2001. The Committee, presided over by the Ministry of Justice, was responsible for implementing measures for the prevention and combating of terrorism in all its forms within the Republic of Djibouti and to participate in relevant international forums. Three subcommittees had been established, dealing with: (1) legislative and judicial measures; (2) co-ordination of security services; and (3) financial and banking systems. Parallel to this Committee, a Crisis Management Unit had been put in place, which met twice a week and was chaired by the Minister of the Interior. This Unit had been involved in numerous investigative operations into individual suspects attempting to infiltrate the country. It had also set up a database for detection and monitoring of terrorist financing. It was necessary to draft legislation and regulations pertaining to the following: anti-money laundering, with a precise definition of money laundering; tighter banking regulations and controls on the transfer of funds; regulations requiring financial institutions to report suspicious transactions or unusual behaviour of clients to the authorities. The long-term objective would be to create mechanisms to extend the scope of anti-money laundering laws to all sectors of the economy and to strengthen international cooperation for the detection of illicit flows of capital. The National Committee had strengthened key components of the security apparatus. Certain forces had also benefited from specialized training with the support of friendly countries.
The delegation recommended that IGAD should facilitate the regular evaluation of border and immigration police with regards to the implementation of the measures proposed by this conference and the strengthening of regional information databanks.
11. Working groups on the draft Plan of Action:
Participants then divided into two groups to deliberate on the draft Implementation Plan, which is attached as an appendix to this report.
Group A had a lively discussion on a variety of points in the Draft Implementation Plan. The discussion included matters such as the scope and types of terrorism that might have an influence in the IGAD region, and that these concepts should all be included in the plan. The group also felt it were necessary to change the title of the document, which is reflected in the final draft document. It was also suggested that the capacity building areas of the plan was of importance, and that states should make use of other similar institutions that might be of assistance. This includes institutions such as Interpol.
Group B reviewed the Draft Implementation Plan paragraph by paragraph and agreed that all recommendations made should be practical in terms of implementation by member states. Strong emphasis was placed on the regional approach to
counter-terrorism, particularly with regard to mutual legal assistance, extradition and harmonization of national legislation. The delegates came up with a common position, as reflected in the attached Draft Implementation Plan to Counter Terrorism in the IGAD sub-region.
12. Luncheon address by Colonel Paul Melshen, USMCR Political/Military Officer for the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa:
During lunch, on Thursday 26th June 2003, the meeting was addressed by Col Paul Melshen from the CJF-HOA.
Col. Melshen said that the peoples of America, Europe, Africa and specifically the IGAD member nations, had become indelibly intertwined in the global war against transnational terrorism. The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) was an integral part of this war. Its mission was to detect, disrupt, defeat and deny terrorist activity in the Horn of Africa. The CJTF-HOA was a joint and combined effort of personnel from all US Services and allied officers from numerous other countries, such as Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia. The seven countries located in the CJTF-HOA Joint Operations Area were Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. In most cases, counter-terrorist operations were conducted by the security forces of the host nation with support from the US country team, US assets, military personnel and federal agencies. The CJTF-HOA wanted to help allies of the US to secure their borders and to develop a dedicated , highly skilled counter terrorism unit.
13. Final Session
During a final plenary session on Friday 27th June 2003 participants adopted this conference report as well as the attached Implementation Plan, recommending the latter to the IGAD Council of Ministers for their consideration.
As a first step towards meeting the research and information agenda reflected in the Implementation Plan, member states agreed to complete and submit to the IGAD secretariat, the questionnaire distributed to member states during June 2003 and to work with the ISS in the finalization of a regional report on current
counter-terrorist measures and instruments. IGAD would also benefit from cooperation with other organizations such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and regional research institutes such as UNAFRI and the ISS.
