A conference on intelligence opened in Khartoum on Monday with participants identifying terrorism, mercenaries and foreign fighters as serious threats to the continent's security.

The meeting bringing together Africa's security chiefs and experts warned that thousands of jihadist fighters had returned from Syria, Iraq and Libya to become a threat to Africa.

The Committee of the Intelligence and Security Services (CISSA) conference has been organised under the theme; "The Phenomena of the Mercenary, Foreign Fighters and Terrorism’’.

Ordinary conference

It is aimed at combating the negative impacts of mercenaries, the spread of terrorism and the presence of the foreign fighters on the continent.

The Khartoum meeting follows the recommendations of the 13th ordinary conference of CISSA in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, which also discussed the key security concerns on the entire continent.

The African intelligence chiefs warned that the Somali jihadist group, the Al-Shabaab were preparing for more terrorist attacks on the neighbouring countries.

Fleeing the attacks

It further disclosed that a new branch of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation had been formed in the sub-Saharan region.

The Islamic State in the grater desert was reportedly founded in Burkina Faso where many IS fighters fleeing the attacks in Libya, Syria and Iraq were re-organising themselves.

Burkina Faso President Rouch Mark Christian Kaboure last week paid a two-day visit to Sudan during which he signed several cooperation agreements with his host Omar al-Bashir.