The ‘2025 FIRST and AFRICACERT Symposium: Africa and Arab Regions’ – a key regional platform for capacity building, knowledge sharing, and strengthening cybersecurity maturity across the African and Arab regions – opened this morning, at Hennessy Park Hotel, in Ebène.
The Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Dr Avinash Ramtohul; the Executive Director of AFRICACERT, Mr Jean-Robert Hountomey; the Chair of the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), Mr Olivier Caleff; and other personalities were present.
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, the Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius (CERT-MU), AFRICACERT and FIRST, the symposium is being held on the theme “When the Defenders Unite.” It brings together cybersecurity experts, national and regional CERTs, policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to deepen collaboration and strengthen incident response capabilities across the African and Arab regions.
In his address, Minister Ramtohul underlined Mauritius’ strategic location in the African region and reaffirmed Government’s commitment to positioning the country as a leading digital hub. He recalled that that Blueprint for the ICT sector lies on four foundational pillars, each with cybersecurity at its core.
According to the Minister the current economic stability depends heavily on digital and social stability. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshaping the global landscape, there is a growing need to protect societies from emerging risks, he said. He indicated that his Ministry has established an AI Unit, with the national AI Charter and Strategy expected to be published in January 2026.
Dr Ramtohul also cautioned against the misuse of social media and its impact on youth, noting that this issue requires serious policy consideration to ensure safer and more responsible use of the Internet. Some 1,414 cases of online harassment involving more than 50% of women have been reported since the start of 2025. He stressed the need to protect vulnerable groups while ensuring that regulatory measures respect individual rights.
The Minister further reiterated Mauritius’ ambition to nurture a clean, safe, and trusted digital space, emphasisng that collaboration across Africa is vital to amplifying the region’s collective voice.
In a bid to provide better protection for citizens and uphold their rights, Government is currently reviewing existing legislation, including amendments to the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime, he said.
Source: GIS
Dated the 04th of December 2025
