YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Police Chiefs from Central and West Africa have backed a series of measures for enhanced cooperation via INTERPOL to more effectively combat terrorism.
The establishment of an INTERPOL Regional Counter-Terrorism Node (RCTN) in West Africa was endorsed by participants attending the two-day (10 and 11 October) high-level meeting. Other security enhancing measures backed by the counter-terrorism experts include;
- Enable the sharing of counter-terrorism information collected from the battlefield by military forces with law enforcement authorities and INTERPOL;
- Promote systematic inclusion of identifying information such as nominals and biometrics;
- Facilitate INTERPOL-coordinated information-led screening and operations against illicit trafficking in high-value terrorist travel nodes.
In addition to information-sharing protocols, the meeting heard how INTERPOL is also supporting law enforcement actions on the ground, specifically via the upcoming Operation Africa Trigger III.
The operation will see officers from across West Africa and the Sahel conducting coordinated interventions targeting the illicit trafficking of firearms and terrorist mobility.
Over the coming months INTERPOL will also develop a counter-terrorism investigation manual which can be tailored towards individual countries’ needs in addition to providing support, where necessary, in helping countries with their national counter-terrorism strategies.
The world police body will also provide specialized training on techniques to counter the use of social media for terrorist purposes.