UEMOA cybersecurity: regional cooperation essential to prevent major incidents, says Alassane Kafando
via Lefaso.net12 min read
The 4th edition of the International Exhibition of Digital Economy Professionals of the West African Economic and Monetary Union SIPEN-UEMOA, held in Ouagadougou on July 14 and 15, 2026, focused on "Refounding the digital economy within UEMOA: artificial intelligence, FinTech, and inclusive finance." A high-level panel on July 15, themed "Governance, digital trust, and financial sovereignty," featured experts including Adolphe Kaboré, interim director of the digital economy at the UEMOA commission; Charles Millogo, telecommunications engineer and head of digital economy financing at BOAD for the UEMOA area; Hervé Moundouho Cissp, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky; Alassane Kafando, cybersecurity engineer at Telecel Faso; and Bernard Abaloutou Bialabna, data protection expert from Togo. The discussions highlighted the need for a harmonized regional governance framework for personal data protection to ensure financial stability and foster innovation, especially given the increasing complexity of governance, security, and financial crime in the accelerating digital transformation. Adolphe Kaboré emphasized the challenge of adapting regulatory frameworks to innovation, protecting personal data, combating money laundering, and ensuring interoperability. He also stressed the need to regulate large digital firms to prevent unfair competition. Charles Millogo advocated for a prudential approach, encouraging low-risk innovations while closely monitoring high-risk activities and streng
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