The conference, titled "Terrorism and Counter-terrorism in Africa", was severely criticised by the Media Review Network on Tuesday for barring the public and the media.
"It is extremely disturbing that this highly controversial and sensitive theme is being discussed behind closed doors," Zakiya Fareed of the Media Review Network (MRN) said in a statement.
The Centre for International Political Studies (CIPS) at the University of Pretoria were organising the event to be held in Pretoria on March 23.
Isabel Potgieter, co-ordinator of CIPS, said although the conference was not open to the public and the media, all the papers to be presented would be made available to the media.
"The centre's director, Professor Hussein Solomon, is more than willing to brief the media on the conference. The Media Review Network declined the offer," she said.
Potgieter said the conference was closed at the request of some of the speakers because of the "very sensitive topic".
She said the America embassy was not co-hosting the conference as the MRN claimed, but was involved, as were many other embassies and consulates.
"The conference is aimed at the diplomatic and defence community," she said.
The MRN said it would like to know why the University of Pretoria "is party to such clandestine actions, which is an affront to media freedom and the access to information".
The MRN had sent a letter to the university, questioning the motivation for the conference.
An excerpt from the letter, addressed to the vice-chancellor, Professor Calie Pistorius, read: "It is inconceivable that a major institution such as the University of Pretoria would find it expedient to allow discussions of a highly politicised subject to a blanket ban of all and any media coverage.
"In addition to being a highly emotive issue, it is well known that notwithstanding the fact that 'terrorism' lacks definition, the US has been its leading exponent and chief prosecutor of the 'War on Terror'".
The letter added: "That your University's Centre for International Political Studies would be party to such an event, which bars the participation of the public and the media is itself unbecoming of an institution that should be committed to the freedom of opinion, freedom of information, free academic discourse and transparency".
The letter mentioned a talk titled "Political Islam and the State of Africa" to be given by Professor Hussein Solomon, in a session on "Nature of the Threat Posed".
"What does this highly subjective theme seek to achieve apart from the potential to arouse Islamophobia?" the MRN asked.
Potgieter said this was the only paper that would be presented on Islam. "It is not the gist of the whole conference".
She said Solomon would present the same paper in an open forum the day after the conference.
The US embassy referred Sapa to the University of Pretoria for comment. – Sapa.
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