INTERPOL, EAC TO COOPERATE ON MATTERS OF SECURITY

The Secretary General of the East African Community Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera has underscored the commitment of the Partner States to cooperate with the International Police (INTERPOL) in the pursuit of EAC objectives by strengthening collaboration for mutual benefit in the exercise of their respective mandates.

The assurance came when the EAC Secretary General met his INTERPOL counterpart, Mr.Roland K. Noble, during the ongoing 81^st Interpol General Assembly session in Rome, Italy, 7 November, 2012.

‘’As the EAC integration deepens  and widens, with the implied freedoms brought about by the implementation of the Common Market Protocol, negative effects like transnational crimes among others are also gaining sophistication and must be resolutely fought. The role of the INTERPOL therefore becomes key in complementing EAC’s strategic peace and security interventions’’, said Amb Sezibera.

INTERPOL and EAC are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) soon. The EAC recognizes INTERPOL’s expertise and competences in security areas and how it would stand to benefit from the partnership.

Notes to readers

Negotiations between the two organizations for a cooperation framework commenced in 2009 with an aim to optimize the relative advantage and competences of the two organizations in delivering safety and security in the EAC region.

At the moment all EAC Partner States are actively engaging with the EA INTERPOL Regional Bureau.

The EAC Council of Ministers has already pronounced itself on the need to adopt decisions of the Eastern African Police Chief's Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) as EAC Decisions. The conclusion of the MOU will facilitate enhancing the pace at which INTERPOL decisions within the context of EAPCCO are implemented. The MOU provides a formal platform with which both EAPCCO and EAC can participate in each other’s technical working groups and decision processes but also support a mechanism for joint implementation of projects and programs.

The Maritime Security Project (MASE) and the establishment of regional centers of excellence will provide a solid ground on which this partnership will further be harnessed for mutual benefit.