Uganda Counter Terrorism Forum: East African security chiefs seek database of suspected terrorists

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15 African nations are meeting in Uganda to discuss how to face terrorism. Peninah's here with that. Peninah, it's a huge worry for the continent.

That's right Jonathan, terrorism is a big concern across much of Africa. Security chiefs from across East Africa are meeting in Uganda to set up a database of suspected terrorists. Officials are concerned jihadists are accessing funding from religious extremists, with the intention of causing instability in the region. CGTN's Hillary Ayesiga reports from the forum.

Policing the region, security officers from Great Lakes states are reviewing their counterterrorism tactics.

FRED YIGA, DIRECTOR, INTERPOL UGANDA "We need to look at those who finance this kind of crime, it is very unfair of them but it is not enough to call them unfair we need to fight it. We need to find out the movement of money and we need to protect our borders a little more."

Some fighters are funded by religious extremists in Iraq and Syria.

Officials believe sharing intelligence data could help to stop them.

FRED YIGA, DIRECTOR, INTERPOL UGANDA "We must also create very strong and reliable databases. When things happen we should be able to analyse intelligence, analyse data and store it properly so that we use it for the next terrorist occurrences."

Despite government efforts, al-Shabaab is an ongoing threat to peace in the Horn of Africa.

Other specific terror incidents include an attack on football fans in Uganda in 2010, and the twin bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

FRANCOIS PERRENOUD, EAST AFRICA HEAD, INTERPOL "We are doing assessment mission to have an image and overview on how to react depending on each region."

African countries are being encouraged to work with international criminal police organisation, Interpol, to track suspected terrorists' movements.

For its part, Uganda is installing security cameras in urban centres to crack down on criminal activities.

Similar solutions are being tabled at this meeting.

FRED YIGA, DIRECTOR, INTERPOL UGANDA "By the time we finish this conference we shall have addressed border control mechanisms, those who finance this crime, porous borders, training issues, building databases, crime intelligence analysis systems, so that we can predict and foresee this kind of crime before it happens."

Delegates are also discussing how to monitor online platforms for terrorism-related activities.

HILLARY AYESIGA, KAMPALA, UGANDA "Police chiefs here believe this summit will help to close any loopholes in the regional security system. But it will take vigilance and coordination to prevent future acts of terror. HA, CGTN, K, U."