Pan-African security meet kicks off in Algeria

By Abdul Razak bin Abdullah

ALGIERS (AA) - A major conference devoted to discussing the impact of Libya’s political crisis on regional security kicked off on Wednesday in Algeria.

According to Algerian state media, the two-day event -- organized by the African Center for Research and Study on Terrorism (ACSRT) -- is being attended by a host of regional experts and security officials.

Participants discussed a host of issues, including the ongoing return of "terrorists" to the North African region from ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

According to an earlier statement released by the ACSRT (which is affiliated with the African Union), the meeting will tackle means of providing support to AU member states with a view to "enhancing their ability to manage cross-border security" -- especially near politically volatile states such as Libya.

Conference attendees included representatives from Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Chad, Sudan and Niger, along with a number of specialists from international organizations such as the AU Border Program, Interpol and the International Organization for Migration.

Based in Algeria, the ACSRT was established in 2004 by the AU with a view to coordinating counter-terrorism efforts among AU member states.