Weak border controls to blame for rise in crimes in East Africa
Friday April 27 2018
Charles Njoroge, EAC deputy secretary general in charge of Political Federation. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION
Corruption and weak border controls are to blame for the setbacks to the fight against drug and human trafficking in the region, EAC deputy secretary general in charge of Political Federation Charles Njoroge has said.
He said the situation was compounded by fewer resources, limited anti-trafficking experiences as well as poor inter-agency cooperation.
“Today more women from the region are trafficked than men. Drug barons target unsuspecting women to be carriers and transporters of narcotic drugs. In some cases, the two crimes are committed jointly and concurrently, whereby the very women transporting narcotic drugs are at the same time being trafficked,” said Mr Njoroge.
He was addressing a joint workshop on countering human and drug trafficking in the region in Zanzibar.
The seven-day training workshop organised by the EAC in collaboration with Interpol aims to train police officers involved in curbing Transnational Organised Crimes (TNOCs).
Meanwhile, the EAC has established an Inter-religious Council to combat youth radicalisation in the region.
The initiative will be funded by the African Peace and Security Architecture (Apsa) Support Programme which has been working with the EAC on conflict prevention and resolution.