Regional police solidarity

There is need for close cooperation between regional security agencies so as to tackle cross border crime, President Paul Kagame told regional police chiefs from the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation, (EAPCCO), yesterday.The delegation of about 20 police commanders met with President Kagame at Village Urugwiro, where they held talks on several operations of EAPCCO.The police commanders are in Rwanda to flag-off a one week simulation exercise on the combat of international crimes through Interpol systems which was opened yesterday at police headquarters in Kigali.Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Internal Security, Sheikh Fazil Musa Harerimana, said President Kagame advised the police chiefs to expand their area of operation and integrate more countries into EAPCCO to further enhance their operations.“Cooperation between security organs is a good thing because this will help to efficiently combat trans-national crimes like human trafficking, drug trafficking and other crimes,” Harerimana said.The Interpol Director of the regional police services directorate, Elisabeth Kuteesa, said Interpol wants regional police commands to utilise all the available resources to curb cross border crimes.She added; “It is encouraging to see a Head of State accepting to meet police heads. This shows that there is political will which we need to carry out our work effectively.”Earlier, at the opening of the training, Kuteesa, a senior official at Interpol described today’s crime landscape as complicated and one that needs joint effort to combat.“In these times of new threats, the demands placed on police are high,” she said during the launch of the exercise.Kuteesa also emphasised the significance of accurate and timely sharing of information to supplement efforts by frontline officers in combating transnational crimes, particularly through the world police body’s communication platform.Speaking at the launch, Rwanda Police Chief and EAPCCO chair, Emmanuel Gasana said sophistication manifested in the planning and execution of modern crime is threatening the policing landscape and said the simulation exercise was a response.“Among all security challenges crime is ranks high,” Internal Security Minister Harelimana said while flagging off the exercise.The simulation is zeroed on human trafficking, terrorism and peacekeeping support operations and each of 12 EAPCCO member countries is represented by five police officers.The officers have been undergoing a two day theory training session on combating trafficking in persons, terrorism and peace keeping support operations.Speaking to The New Times on Tuesday, the exercise coordinator, Assistant Commissioner of Police Felix Namuhoranye, said though human trafficking is not alarming in Rwanda it is on the rise in within EAPCCO member countries which justifies the need for joint effort to combat the vice.There have numerous reports human traffickers targeting young children and albinos ritual offerings in Uganda and Tanzania respectively.

National

Regional police solidarity