President Yoweri Museveni has called on the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs to work together in effort to fight transnational crimes and terrorism.
President Museveni made the call today (13/1/2014) at Paraa Safari Lodge, in Murchison Falls National Park during the opening of the first East African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization EAPCCO) retreat.
The retreat is being held under the theme: Challenges of Contemporary Policing in the Eastern Africa Region: Managing violence and Cyber Crime.”
President Museveni said “The signing of an extradition treaty is the way forward. You should follow the court system in the region”. This was in response to a challenge of fighting criminals who cross borders posing as asylum seekers. He proposed the establishment of a regional center of excellence with the aim of handling issues such as forensic analysis. He asked them to start with common facilities.
He agreed with the proposal to establish the African Police Organization.
President Museveni condemned characters promoting ideological bankruptcy. He strongly criticized some foreigners who want to impose issues on us. He said “They should leave us alone”.
He condemned Cybercrime observing that some bad elements used it to spread bad messages in Northern Africa and caused insecurity.
President Museveni while addressing the issue of insecurity said that an elected Government should be allowed to complete its term. He noted that the problems in Northern Africa are ideological, observing that some people failed to take interests of the masses as most important. He was annoyed to note that some people were killed under sectarian grounds.
He said that whoever promotes tribal issues is an enemy of the people. He added that such characters are parasites because they represent their personal interests.
President Museveni said that there were a number of strategic bottlenecks that have hampered Africa’s development. He said that if one makes wrong definition of problems he cannot build state Institutions such as the Army, Police and civil Service. He attributed the failures to some of the leaders performing their roles while following tribal grounds and failing to use merit.
He said that social economic conditions play a big role in national development. While giving Uganda as an example, he said that it had a population of 6 million people as compared to the current figure of 37 million. He said that with such a big population, there is need to expand the economy and create employment. He said that there was also need to expand the tax base by providing infrastructure and other essential services. He emphasized that factories cannot be promoted in Uganda if we do not have roads, rail and electricity supply. He noted that without the essential facilities the cost of doing business would be high.
President Museveni said that Uganda’s economic growth was due to the Government giving incentives to investors.
He observed that other issues that have obstructed development in Africa is an underdeveloped human resource and a small internal market. He said that a small internal market blocks the growth of business adding that big numbers enable the business to grow. He observed that with a big market, a country can set up conditions for investors. He was pleased to note that this was being solved through the East African Community, COMESA and other trade blocks.
The State Minister for Internal Affairs James Baba revealed that with the registration of Ugandans and foreigners in the pipeline the exercise would play a big role in fighting crime.
The Secretary General of Interpol, Mr. Ernest Quatre in a speech read on his behalf by Mr. NoburuNakatani said that Eastern Africa had recorded a high growth rate. He noted that it has led to an increase in trans- national crime. He assured the gathering that Interpol was committed to make the World a safer place. He said that it would strengthen the Police capacity in the region.
The Inspector General of Police General Kale Kayihura saluted President Museveni for sparing time for the retreat. He also thanked President Paul Kagame of Rwanda for accepting to address the retreat. He observed that the visit of the two Presidents was testimony of their commitment to fight crime.
The Kenyan Inspector General of Police Mr. David Kimayo said that one of the major issues of the retreat was to address the recent wave of crime in the region. He saluted President Museveni for sparing time from his busy schedule.
