NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 30 — Inspector General of the National Police Service, Douglas Kanja, is in Algiers, Algeria, chairing the 12th AFRIPOL Steering Committee meeting in his capacity as President of the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation, AFRIPOL.
The National Police Service (NPS) said Wednesday that discussions are focused on revising AFRIPOL’s statutes, organizational structure, and budget in preparation for the upcoming General Assembly.
“As President, IG Kanja chairs the AFRIPOL General Assembly, its supreme technical and deliberative body responsible for providing leadership in police cooperation across Africa,” the NPS said in a statement.
AFRIPOL collaborates with international law enforcement agencies, including INTERPOL, and partners with various development organizations to combat transnational organized crime, terrorism, and cybercrime.
The opening ceremony was attended by key figures, including the Director General of the Algerian National Police, Ali Badaoui; Acting Executive Director of AFRIPOL, Ambassador Jalel Chelba; AU Legal Advisor, Ambassador Salem Mohamed; African Chiefs of Police; representatives from the AU’s Peace and Security Department; and regional Chiefs of Police Cooperation.
IG Kanja, accompanied by NPS Spokesperson Resila Onyango, arrived in Algiers on Tuesday for the two-day meeting, scheduled from October 29-30, 2024.
AFRIPOL, modeled on the philosophy of UNPOL (United Nations Police), fosters structured cooperation among AU Member States, promoting democratic policing values and best practices. Its priority areas include countering transnational organized crime, terrorism, cybercrime, and other emerging criminal threats.
