Credit: twitter.com.AU /   INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock (center)  briefs African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa  25, Apr. 2019. 

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INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock outlined the Organization’s activities across the region to combat transnational crime and terrorism this week at a meeting before the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in Ethiopia capital city Addis Ababa.

“Criminals, terrorists and armed insurgents alike are profiting from crime, moving people and products through illicit trafficking routes and networks, creating fault lines from one region to the next across Africa.”

-INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock

The INTERPOL Chief highlighted the deployment of an Incident Response Team (IRT) to Kenya to support the national authorities’ investigation following the Nairobi terror attack in January. Expertise provided by the INTERPOL team included disaster victim identification, cyber analysis to decrypt seized mobile phones and other portable devices, biometrics, explosives and firearms, as well as photo and video analysis.

“This is why INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities and initiatives for Africa are designed to best support ground-level realities,” added the INTERPOL Chief, pointing to the recent Operation Epervier II.

Council highlights the need for build'g capacities of States; #AU, #MSs and #RECs; Calls for greater commitment among #MSs & #RECs/#RMs 2wards eradicating the scourge of Terrorism & TOC; underscores the importance of intelligence sharing in the fight against Terrorism and #TOC pic.twitter.com/ATRopk385b

— African Union Peace (@AU_PSD) April 25, 2019

Conducted in Benin and Nigeria in early April, Operation Eperiver II resulted in the rescue of almost 220 victims of human trafficking, among whom were 157 children aged 16 and under.

In January this year INTERPOL and the AU signed an information sharing agreement which provides a platform for cooperation with AFRIPOL in the fight against terrorism and organized crime.

Under the accord, AFRIPOL will have access to INTERPOL’s nominal, stolen motor vehicles, and stolen and lost travel documents databases.