Cooperation between regional police bodies gets big boost |19 December 2013

Cooperation between police organisations of the region is expected to be strengthened following the recent visit to Seychelles of a high-level delegation from the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO).

The seven-man delegation was headed by SARPCCO’s chairperson Lieutenant General Sebastian Haitota Ndeitunga, who is also Inspector General of the Namibian police force.

During his three-day visit to Seychelles, Inspector General Ndeitunga had meetings with the Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan and Police Commissioner Ernest Quatre and his executive team.

Among Mr Ndeitunga’s delegation was the head of Interpol’s Regional Bureau for the Southern African Region based in Zimbabwe.

Inspector General Ndeitunga’s visit to Seychelles was at the invitation of the chairman of EAPCCO (Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation), Commissioner Ernest Quatre.

Inspector Ndeitunga’s meeting with Minister Morgan focused on regional police matters “of mutual concern”.

Seychelles involvement in activities and events organised by SARPCCO was also a key point of discussion between the SARPCCO chairman and Minister Morgan.

Minister Morgan has described his meeting with Inspector General Ndeitunga as fruitful and very interesting.
 
“This relationship is indeed very important and comes at an opportune time now that Seychelles has the chairmanship of the EAPCCO. It will strengthen the relations between the member countries of both organisations and bring about significant benefits especially as we coordinate in the fight against transnational and organised crimes impacting on us nationally and regionally,” said Minister Morgan.

Seychelles, which holds the chairmanship of EAPCCO, automatically became a member of SARPCCO the moment it joined the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 2008.

Meeting Police Commissioner Quatre in the presence of Seychelles police executive committee at the central headquarters in Victoria the following day, Inspector General Ndeitunga talked mainly about SARPCCO’s plans, its future projects and the importance of cooperation.

Reference was also made to the ‘USALAMA’ exercise, an operation held jointly by EAPCCO and SARPCCO member states in July this year. It is an exercise whereby over a certain number of days all member states simultaneously intensify their fights against selected trans-national crimes such as drug trafficking, cyber crimes, human trafficking and so on.  The exercise is also done with the support of Interpol.

“There are many benefits that a police force or service of each country can enjoy from regional cooperation. These benefits are among others, provision of training to our officers, sharing of intelligence among member countries on trans-national crime, conducting of joint operations and investigation of crimes such as drug trafficking and so on,” Inspector General Ndeitunga said.

The SARPCCO delegation is expected back in the country in June next year.