EAPPCO police chiefs meet over cross border crime

Police chiefs from 12 countries under the East Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPPCO) are meeting in Kampala today to step up efforts in curbing cross border and transitional crimes in the region.Rwanda’s Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana is the current Chairman of EAPPCO.The event has attracted 200 senior police officers and 1,000 delegates from different countries in Africa and beyond.“The meeting will be reviewing the crime trends in the region by looking at how we can all strengthen tracking of criminals,” said Vincent Sekate, the Deputy Spokesperson of Uganda Police during an interview with The New Times yesterday.EAPPCO is charged with carrying out regular reviews of joint crime management strategies in view of changing national, regional needs and priorities.A notable breakthrough in fighting cross-border crime this year was the arrest of Genocide fugitive Thadee Kwitonda near the Belgian embassy in Kampala. He had changed his name to John Tumwesigye.Only nine out of the twelve EAPPCO member states have signed the agreement on extradition of fugitives and sentenced criminals.At the meeting, Uganda’s Inspector General of Police Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, who served in the same office in 2006, is again expected to take over from Gasana.With its secretariat based in Nairobi, the chairmanship of EAPPCO rotates among its member countries on annual basis.EAPPCO member countries include; Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Comoros Islands.

National

EAPPCO police chiefs meet over cross border crime