Immigration, Safety and Security Minister Dr Albert Kawana called on SADC chiefs of police to redirect efforts in determining challenges affecting deployed personnel on the ground, to ensure proper planning.
Kawana said the increasing scourge of terrorism within the region is one of the areas that requires more responsiveness, with terrorist groups committing atrocities against innocent civilians in some Member States such as Mozambique.
The minister was speaking at the opening of the 28th Annual General Meeting of the SADC/Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO) Chiefs of Police Sub-Committee in Swakopmund on Thursday.
“The SADC Mission in Mozambique is one such peace support operation where we need to ensure that all the pledged capabilities are deployed to achieve set objectives. Some of you may be aware that various peace support components are already deployed in Mozambique, including the police,” the minister expressed.
He reminded the delegates that more still needs to be done as the region still faces many challenges including transnational organised criminal syndicates who continue to threaten the safety and security of citizens across the region.
Kawana further cautioned countries from working in silos, noting that as a regional block, SADC nations should be vigilant at all times and not give rogue elements any breathing space.
SARPCCO was established in 1995 in order to address regional crimes that were not only threatening the peace and tranquillity of the region but also impacting negatively the socio-economic and political front.
Acting Director of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, Kealeboga Moruti supported Kawana’s sentiments, stressing that lack of cooperation and coordination amongst member states and law enforcement agencies is one of the region’s undoing when it comes to combating transnational organised crime.
“The SADC Integrated Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Transnational Organised Crime underscores the need for the region to adopt a multidisciplinary and sectoral approach to interagency collaboration at national and intergovernmental levels to effectively combat transnational organised crime. In this regard, we continue to urge Member States to double efforts to effectively implement the SADC Protocols on Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters and Extradition as well as actively participating in SARPCCO Joint and Simultaneous Operations,” she explained.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency