Somalia, AU Discuss Enhanced Border Security, Counterterrorism Cooperation

Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia's immigration authorities and the African Union discussed strengthening cooperation on security, migration and border management during a meeting in Mogadishu between senior officials from both sides. Hussein Qasim Yusuf, director general of Somalia's Immigration and Citizenship Agency, received a delegation led by Idriss Mounir Lallali, director of the African Union's Counter-Terrorism Centre, at the agency's headquarters in the Somali capital. The officials discussed ways to strengthen coordination between institutions responsible for border security, immigration and counterterrorism, according to a statement from Somalia's Immigration and Citizenship Agency. The talks also focused on information sharing and monitoring the movement of people suspected of involvement in terrorism, particularly those crossing Somalia's international borders. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn The officials reviewed progress made by Somalia in strengthening border controls through the use of modern technology and digital systems for managing immigration data. Somalia's immigration authorities said the systems have helped facilitate legal travel, improve the management of migration information and strengthen the ability of security agencies to detect movements considered a potential threat to national security. Yusuf stressed the importance of close cooperation between Somali government institutions and regional organizations in preventing terrorism and cross-border crime while facilitating lawful movement across the country's borders. The meeting comes as Somalia continues efforts to strengthen its border management and security systems amid ongoing counterterrorism operations against Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that has carried out attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries. The African Union has worked with Somalia for years on security and counterterrorism efforts, including through its wider support for Somali security institutions and regional mechanisms aimed at addressing threats that cross national borders. The officials did not announce specific new agreements or measures resulting from the meeting. Read the original article on Shabelle . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.