The African Union (AU) Mechanism for police cooperation (AFRIPOL) has called for robust efforts of AU member states in the fight against transnational organised crime and terrorism.
AU says this will enhance cooperation among the member states police agencies.
According to an AU statement on Friday, the AU made the plea at the first AFRIPOL Secretariat meeting for the Heads of its National Liaison Offices, which has been held in Algeria’s capital Algiers from Nov. 26 to Nov. 28.
The meeting enabled the clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the AFRIPOL National Liaison Offices in facilitating the implementation of AFRIPOL activities at national level.
Khelifa Ounissi, the Director-General for National Security of Algeria and president of the AFRIPOL General Assembly officially opened the meeting and underlined on the need to enhance police cooperation on the African continent.
He stressed on the need to empower police agencies in the continent through training and capacity building in order to equip them with skills to effectively fight transnational organised crime and terrorism, which are major security challenges to the continent.
Participants received an update on the AFRIPOL Five-year strategic work plan (2020 to 2024) and the Regulations of the African Police Communication System, as adopted by the Third General Assembly of AFRIPOL that was held in Algiers from 2 to 3 Oct. 2019.
The Executive Director of the AFRIPOL Secretariat, Tarek Sharif, highlighted the role that AFRIPOL is expected to play in enhancing cooperation among the police agencies in the continent in the fight against transnational organised crime and terrorism.
Participants came up with concrete recommendations on improving communication and sharing of information and data at national, regional and international levels, and on modalities for coordinated and targeted capacity building.
The meeting emphasised that the AFRIPOL Secretariat would continue to work with partners to support the police agencies of the member states on enhanced cooperation in combating transnational organised crime and terrorism.
The AFRIPOL is an independent mechanism for police cooperation for AU member states, with main objective of establishing a framework for police cooperation at the strategic, operational and tactical levels between member states police institutions. (xinhua/NAN)