Africa Tackles Transnational Organised Crimes

Africa is set to scrutinise the current state of international criminal justice, its links with transnational organised crime, and national, regional and international efforts to deal with these crimes.

A consortium of African think tanks including; the Wayamo Foundation, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) in collaboration with the German Federal Foreign Office are spearheading series of international justice conferences to dissect international measures and adopt common African standards to deal with the problem.

In a statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, signed by Mr Joseph Roberts-Mensah, Africa Director, Wayamo Foundation noted that Nairobi's (Kenya) Strathmore University and the Strathmore Law School were co-hosting the next conference slated for February 27 to March 2.

The conference on the general theme; 'Networks of Accountability: Justice for International and Transnational Organised Crimes,' seeks to bring together international and local experts on international criminal justice and transnational organised crime, non-governmental organisations, academics, practitioners and members of civil society.

Critical topics to be discussed during the symposium include; Complementary Tiers of Accountability - International, Regional and National Justice, Transnational Organised Crime and its linkages with core international crimes, The View from the Bench (perspectives from the Judiciary); and, Vulnerable Populations - Children and Victims of Sexual Violence.

According to the statement, in recognition of the critical role of the media in contributing to public accountability, Wayamo Foundation would organise separate training sessions for selected media representatives from East African countries.

The media training session is aimed at further developing the reporting skills and expertise, while building the knowledge of journalists for critical reportage on justice-related issues affecting the region.

A session would be organised for Investigators and Prosecutors on international crimes, trafficking, and investigation of sexual crimes.

According to the statement, a High-level Network Meeting of Directors of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) and Directors of Criminal Investigations(DCIs) from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda is aimed at strengthening the rule of law, investigation and prosecution of complex crimes and intensifying inter-agency collaboration at the regional level.

The Wayamo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organisation established to strengthen the rule of law, promote international criminal justice and foster transparency through informed journalism.

Its main objective is to build the capacity of national judicial systems to enable them to address core international crimes, transnational organised crime and build transitional justice mechanisms.

GNA