25th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Africa Perspective

Honorable Dr. Dansa Kourouma commenced by expressing gratitude to the British authorities for their warm reception and Qatar for hosting the forum. He extended cordial greetings from the people and government of Guinea. Dr. Kourouma underscored the heightened responsibility of parliamentarians in the face of resurgent wars and conflicts that destabilize sovereign nations and undermine democratic institutions. He presented alarming statistics: in 2022, 21 major armed conflicts occurred  resulting in over 200,000 fatalities. Furthermore, terrorist attacks disproportionately impacted African countries, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel. Dr. Kourouma emphasized the urgent need for regional and international cooperation, reaffirming the significance of democracy and human rights in counterterrorism efforts. He advocated for sincere collaboration in intelligence sharing, noting that selective disclosure by certain developed countries impedes effective threat prevention. The forum, he contended, presents an opportunity to address longstanding international injustices, particularly Africa’s exclusion from permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council, and to ensure the continent assumes its rightful position in global decision-making. Dr. Kourouma concluded by urging African nations to take decisive action against poverty, resource exploitation, and unequal application of international law. He emphasized that lawmakers must responsibly address global insecurity, and that laws should guide technology, not be subjugated by it.