Hiiraan Online

Monday August 25, 2014

Kenya’s Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo said on Sunday the five-day meeting is expected to bring police commanders and heads of criminal investigations from 17 countries in Africa to share intelligence on the emerging security threats in the region.

He said security experts from Germany, Turkey, France, Algeria and Nigeria will also participate in the regional meeting as well as head of the Interpol secretariat and will devise ways of combating serious crimes that involve networks across countries.

"The meeting is aimed at sharing security related experiences, gains and challenges within the regional policing institutions in the last one year," Kimaiyo said.

He said the conference is expected to come up with appropriate recommendations which will serve to make policing in the region more effective and add value to the public.

According to Kimaiyo, strategies to enhance critical linkages and minimize intra and inter border crimes will be discussed.

The meeting is under the auspices of East African Police Chiefs Association and takes place annually.

Those attending the event include police chiefs from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Comoros, Eritrea, Seychelles, South Sudan and Tanzania.

The security meeting comes as the east African nation has faced a string of terror attacks in recent months which have culminated with the mass evacuation of tourists in the coastal city of Mombasa following twin attacks in Mpeketoni in July which left at least 95 people dead and many others injured early this year.

These attacks threaten the tourism business which the country so readily relies on, so by extension the economy is threatened too.

Last September, the world watched in horror as Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya was infiltrated by masked gunmen brandishing grenades and AK-47 assault rifles.

The hostage and terror standoff lasted more than 48 hours and claimed the lives of at least 67 people and injured 175 others.