Secretary General of INTERPOL Jürgen Stock recently spoke at a meeting of security ministers from countries in the Central African Police Chiefs Committee (CAPCCO).
Stock said that regional law enforcement cooperation is directly connected with security efforts across the continent and beyond.
“In the face of global threats, Central Africa is impacted like other regions on the continent or around the world,” Stock said. “INTERPOL’s unique global presence and reach are crucial to help link investigations outside the region and continent. For policing to be effective, we must look to provide a global response to regional threats.”
The meeting was held by the Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea Francisco Pascual Obama Asue. INTERPOL recently opened a special representative office to the African Union in Addis Ababa to engage with surrounding nations on security-related issues.
“No country or region can deal with the challenges of transnational crime alone,” José Ondo Ondo Nchama, incoming chair of the CAPCCO, said. “We must work closely together. Africa is committed to fighting terrorism and organized crime, and it is for this very reason that collaboration with INTERPOL is crucial for the national security of African countries.”
INTERPOL’s increased efforts to combat global terrorism comes in the wake of continued Boko Haram attacks in Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon that claimed approximately 5,700 lives in 2015.