Secrecy in African Intelligence: Tanzania Intelligence and Security Service (TISS) as a Case Study Extraordinaire of the Invisibility Doctrine
In an age where intelligence agencies in much of the world have embraced a degree of public visibility—publishing strategic documents, engaging in outreach campaigns, and even maintaining official websites—many African spy agencies, including Tanzania’s Tanzania Intelligence and Security Service (TISS), continue to operate under a dense veil of secrecy. These agencies behave as though their very existence is classified, with no public-facing infrastructure, policy statements, or even formal acknowledgment in some cases.
To the outsider, and increasingly to domestic civil society and younger political observers, this stance may appear archaic, a relic of the Cold War era where secrecy was synonymous with legitimacy. But is this invisibility truly outdated, or does it offer strategic advantages aligned with the unique political, geopolitical, and security contexts of Africa?
This article explores the rationale, risks, and rewards of this enduring secrecy among African intelligence agencies—with a particular focus on TISS—while evaluating whether continued invisibility strengthens national security or merely hinders institutional evolution.