Addis Ababa August 29/2018 Ethiopia and Djibouti officials are holding meeting to map and analyze cross border security threats and criminal networks between the Dewele and Tog Wajaale corridor.
The three-day validation workshop that kicked today will help Ethiopia and Djibouti to review, evaluate, improve and validate the findings and the suggested recommendations of the report on the “Mapping and Analysis of the Cross-Border Security Threats in the IGAD Region: A Case Study of the Dewele-Tog Wajaale Corridor.”
The participants at the workshop cut across from border agencies, judiciary, law enforcement, academia, regulators, financial intelligence units, lawyers to mention but a few, according to IGAD website.
The study undertaken is expected to bridge the critical gap of knowledge about the scale, extent, causes, impact and trends of transnational crimes carried out covering the border areas between Dewele and Tog Wajaale covering Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Dewele has a common rail and road border crossing between Djibouti and Ethiopia on the south eastern part, while Tog Wajaale has a road crossing border point between Ethiopia and Somalia connecting to Hargesya and Port of Berbera on the Gulf of Eden.
However, both sides of the borderline are not limited to the formal border crossing stations but also the towns, villages, informal crossing areas and other places where movement of people and goods exists; hence also a rich ground for transnational crimes like smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism, etc, the website stated.
Pillar Head of Counter Terrorism at the IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP), Daoud Alwan urged the participants to earnestly contribute to the report by considering regional security and broader picture of it being used as reference by the other IGAD member states.
He reiterated strongly that through collaboration and coordination, information sharing and strengthening capabilities, to mention but a few, by the IGAD member states, responsible agencies and communities that transnational crimes will be prevented, deterred or dealt with collectively and successfully.
The mapping report reveals that most of IGAD borders are poorly managed and controlled; and that makes them vulnerable to various forms of transnational security threats, including terrorism, violent extremism, insurgencies, trafficking of humans and weapons.
The project is being financially supported by the Government of Sweden and facilitated by GAD SSP to carry out a series of similar assessments and research to respond to emerging and evolving crimes in the IGAD Region, it was learned.
ENA
