1. The African Union Commission in collaboration with the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, convened a technical level meeting in Nouakchott, Mauritania from 5 to 7 November 2023, on revitalizing the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes, established to address security threats in the Sahelo-Sahara and Horn of Africa/ East Africa regions respectively.

2. The meeting was attended by Representatives from Member States of both the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes, as well as Representatives of Member States of the Accra Initiative. Participant countries were Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Togo. Related institutions and mechanisms which participated in the meeting were: the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Executive Secretariat of the Accra Initiative; the Eastern Africa Fusion and Liaison Unit (EA-FLU), the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU); the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS); the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), and the Fusion and Liaison Unit (UFL) of the Sahel countries.

Following extensive deliberations, Participants:

3. Noted with concern the deteriorating security situation in Sahelo – Saharan region, West African Littoral region, Lake Chad Basin and Horn /Eastern Africa region, and welcomed the revitalization of the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes.

4. Agreed on the need for enhanced cooperation and coordination between the Processes and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) for conflict prevention, management and resolution, and called on the Commission to develop their modalities.

5. Agreed to conduct regular meetings at various levels at least once a year, bringing together the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes and the Accra Initiative, convened by the African Union Commission as the overall coordinator of these Processes. 

6. Recommended the development of MoUs for intelligence and information sharing. In this regard, recommended that, in the Sahelo-Saharan region,  MoUs be concluded between the Nouakchott Process, the Accra Initiative, ECOWAS and NARC. In the Horn/Eastern African region, recommended that MoUs be concluded between EA-FLU and IGAD, SADC and ICGLR.

7. Agreed to establish Secretariats for coordination of the activities of the two Processes. In the context of the Djibouti Process, the Secretariat consists of the Chair of the Process and the EA-FLU. 

8. In the context of the Nouakchott Process, recalled the decision of the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Nouakchott Process held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on 27 November 2018, and recommended that the Chair of the Process, the UFL and MISAHEL coordinate the activities of the Nouakchott Process under the auspices of the AU Commission. 

9. Underscored the need to update national legislations to enable intelligence and information sharing, as appropriate.

10. Agreed to submit Quarterly Reports to the AU Commission on the ongoing security situation and emerging security threats and challenges, which reports will contribute to the annual Report to the Ministerial Committee on Counter-Terrorism.  

11. Reiterated the need for sustainable financing for the prevention and combating of terrorism and violent extremism in the Continent. In this regard also reiterated the urgency to operationalize the “African Union Special Fund for Prevention and Combating of Terrorism and Violent Extremism” as adopted by the Assembly of the Union at its Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Session held in Kigali, Rwanda in July 2016. 

12. Requested the AU Commission to avail sustainable funding for the activities of the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes and the Accra Initiative.

13. Committed to working closely with the AU Commission, the ACSRT and AFRIPOL on support to Member States of the Processes to enhance capacity building in areas related to counter-terrorism, including SALW stockpile management, money laundering, transnational organized crime, preventing and countering violent extremism and other related matters.

14. Participants expressed appreciation to the Government and People of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for hosting the meeting on the Revitalization of the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes.

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