By Eddah Waithaka
Top justice, security, and government officials from across Africa issued a unified declaration for a continental cybersecurity strategy today, framing the fight against digital crime as an urgent necessity for economic survival and a moral imperative to protect a new generation.
The call to action formed the core of the third Africa Forum on Cybercrime, which Kenya’s Ministry of Interior and National Administration hosted in collaboration with the Council of Europe.
The gathering brought together a powerful coalition of ministers, judges, attorneys general, and investigators to confront a threat that now accounts for over 30% of all reported crimes in some African regions.
A Continental Crisis Demands a Unified Front
Dr. Raymond Omollo, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, officially opened the forum by delivering a stark assessment.
He stated that the borderless nature of cyber threats requires an equally borderless response. “A cyber incident many thousands of miles away can destabilize institutions here at home within seconds, if not minutes,” Dr. Omollo told delegates.
“This reality makes one point clear: our response must be coordinated, international, and sustained.” Dr. Omollo placed Africa’s youth at the center of the solution, noting the continent’s median age is just 18 years.
“We cannot allow this generation to be merely consumers of technology” he asserted, warning of the risks of identity theft and exploitation. “We need to design mechanisms that safeguard identity equality through awareness, education, and robust online protections.”
The push for a coordinated strategy followed sobering testimony from other African leaders who detailed the scale of the crisis. Lamin Jabbi, The Gambia’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, revealed that cybercrime costs the African continent an estimated $3 billion annually.
He highlighted a critical skills gap, noting that fewer than 30% of African nations have prosecutors or judges trained to handle electronic evidence, and over 60% of investigations fail, especially across borders.
“We must harmonize our decisions. Share intelligence through collective capacity,” Minister Jabbi urged. “If the Council of Europe can work together with Africa, we can build a cyber-inclusive home.”
Vinsent Perera, Attorney General of Seychelles, delivered a philosophical warning, linking the evolution of crime to the evolution of technology.
“With the invention of the computer, crime itself evolved. A new word entered our vocabulary: cybercrime,” he said. “Today, machines now think and with this advancement comes terror.”
He invoked Darwin’s principle to demand that law enforcement adapt faster than criminals.
“For the guardians of the rule of law, adaptation is not optional, it is imperative.”
A Foundation of International Cooperation and Training
The forum underscored that the framework for cooperation already exists. Matthias Kloth, Head of Digital Governance for the Council of Europe, opened the dialogue by affirming that international conventions like the Budapest Convention provide the necessary legal backbone.
“The fight against cybercrime requires coordinated and sustained multistakeholder action across borders, across institutions,” Kloth stated, reaffirming that security must never come at the expense of human rights like privacy and freedom of expression.
On the front lines of the justice system, Justice Smokin Wanjala, Director General of the Kenya Judiciary Academy, detailed a massive capacity-building effort.
He outlined a series of specialized trainings for judges and officers on cybercrime, electronic evidence, and digital forensics conducted in partnership with the European Union.
“The academy stands ready to collaborate, to learn, and to share the specialized capacity we have built,” Justice Wanjala said, ensuring that the continent is building a pool of experts capable of adjudicating complex cybercrime cases.
As the forum concluded, the message from Nairobi was clear: Africa is building a united, skilled, and adaptive front to secure its digital future, with its youth as its greatest asset and its partnerships as its strongest weapon.
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