African police chiefs to meet in Uganda over continental police organization

Some 30 African police chiefs are scheduled to meet in Uganda on Oct. 2 over the formation of a continental police organization that will allow better networking and faster flow of information when dealing with criminality.

Uganda's police chief Gen. Kale Kayihura told reporters here on Monday that the chiefs who form an adhoc committee will discuss the formation the African Police Cooperation Organization that is expected to come into existence by the end of this year.

Kayihura said national police forces cannot work in isolation in view of the increasing network of criminal gangs on the continent.

"We need to network as a continent when you talk of proliferation of small arms and light weapons, drug trafficking. There is no way we are going to beat transnational crime if we do not network as police forces," he said.

"Working together is not optional if we are to survive especially in Africa," he added.

He said the organization will be composed of other regional police organizations like, the East African Police chiefs Organization, Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization, Central African Police Chiefs' Committee and the West African Police Chiefs' Committee. Enditem