The curtain fell on the 2nd Mashariki Cooperation Conference
(MCC) in Naivasha on Friday, with a Kenya’s top intelligence and foreign affairs
officials saying Africa must unite against new-age threats born of
technological disruption, digital misinformation, and transnational crime.
Speaking at the close of the high-level summit, the Director
General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Noordin Haji, delivered a
sobering warning on the evolving nature of national security threats in the
digital age.
“The threat of rapid technological advancements, recent
developments on social media and the emergence of digital activism have
escalated the threat to new levels,” said Haji.
“The proliferation of misinformation and disinformation
campaigns, exacerbated by the use of AI-generated content, has waged a war
against truth, with governments being the biggest targets.”
Haji welcomed the collective resolve of member states to
confront these challenges head-on, emphasizing the need for shared strategies
to safeguard national and regional stability.
In his remarks, Haji also highlighted how traditional
threats are evolving to exploit new technologies.
“Increasingly, insurgents have leveraged emerging blockchain technology and weak internal financial controls to facilitate money laundering and illicit financial flows,” he noted, pointing to a rising convergence between terrorism and transnational organized crime.
CabInet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia
Mudavadi echoed the urgency of embracing technological realities while
harnessing intelligence to keep Africa safe and united.
“The world cannot run away from AI challenges, but it must
embrace it and make sure it works for it, Intelligence will play a critical role
in the integration of the African continent,” Mudavadi said
Mudavadi also underscored the broader role of intelligence
services in promoting peace and development across the continent.
The MCC brought together intelligence and security leaders
from across the region, setting the tone for deeper collaboration in the face
of a rapidly changing global threat landscape.
