11 May 2008
Luanda — The meeting of the committee of police chiefs of Southern Africa (Sarpcco) that closed Saturday in Luanda, consolidated the ideas that dictated the integration of the police body into the structures of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).
The session has thus made operational a recommendation from the heads of State of the region that defended the need for the integration of Sarpcco into the structures of SADC.
SADC was in need of an organ that would deal specifically with matters of police character, which has only now come true, with the integration of Sarpcco into its structures.
Closing the event, the commander general of the Angola National Police, Ambrósio de Lemos, said that the existence of organised crime, with support from various points of the globe, constitutes a concern to all states.
"The times to come will bring us new challenges and once again our capacities and intelligences will be tested and with added responsibilities," said Ambrosio de Lemos.
To this end, he added, there is need for a more expressed and stronger relation among the member states in the domain of security, public order and tranquillity.
According to the officer, becasue the member states are part of the same geostrategic region, they should not act in an isolated manner, adding that "we pursue common goals in the defence of the noble interests of our peoples that are translated in peace, stability and social progress."
"I am sure we will leave this meeting conscious that we will do all we can to honour the commitments we have taken, so we can provide for the creation and maintenance of the conditions that guarantee the security and tranquillity of our borders and of the region at large," said the National Police commander.
The next meeting of the SADC police body will take place in Swaziland, that will then take up the chair of the SADC organ for political, defence and security cooperation.
Sarpcco was established on August 5, 1995, by 11 SADC member countries. They are Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Mauritius, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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