There is various capacity building programmes that are currently being undertaken by the Lusaka Agreement Task Force. We appreciate the financial support received from ICPO-Interpol (Project Oasis) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to facilitate these programmes.
TRAINING
The ongoing training programmes are summarized as follows:
21st to 31st July 2008
Training of 12 participants on Wildlife Intelligence and Investigations is currently being held at the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania. The participants are Commanders of the Anti-poaching Unit.
21st to 31st July 2008
Training of 21 participants drawn from Wildlife law enforcement units in the Republic of Congo is now being held at the Centre de Repos Hotel in Kintele, Congo Brazzaville.The officers in these training programmes are receiving specialized wildlife intelligence and investigations skills to enhance their capacity in fighting wildlife crime.
Objectives:
| i) |
Equip the National Bureau officers with basic investigative and intelligence skills to effectively carry out their law enforcement duties, |
| ii) |
Introduce the role of International and regional Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in fighting wildlife crime. This enlightened the officers on the existence of Multilateral Environmental Agreement/Conventions whose regulations must be implemented in wildlife trade, |
| iii) |
Provide a methodology and some tools for successful wildlife crime investigations. |
Activities Undertaken:
LATF in conjunction with ZAWA organized a ten-day training programme on Basic Intelligence and Investigations in Lusaka in December 2006. This training that drew 22 participants aimed at equipping the ZAWA Wildlife Police Officers with basic investigative and intelligence skills to effectively carry out their law enforcement duties.
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A resource person making a presentation
during an intelligence course held in
Lusaka, Zambia in Nov/December 2006
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In all the specialized training courses conducted by 31st March 2007, over 400 officers have been equipped with skills in investigation and intelligence techniques
INTER-AGENCY WORKSHOPS
These workshops are held with the aim of facilitating collaboration between law enforcement agencies (LEAs) especially those managing international border points that are vulnerable to smuggling of wildlife contraband. In these workshops, participants share/exchange pertinent information relating to wildlife crime and formulate strategies geared towards addressing the wildlife crime problem.
There are three Inter-agency workshops that have been planned for August 2008 in Zambia, Kenya and Uganda:
Zambia: 15-20particpants – 5th to 6th August 2008 (Venue-Garden House Hotel)
This will involve participants drawn from relevant LEAs within the country mainly from the following: Drug Enforcement, Customs, Immigration, Police, Plant Health Inspectorate and Phytosanitary services, Zambia Wildlife Authority, National Airport Corporation among others.
Kenya: 20 participants – 11th – 12th August 2008 – (Venue-KCCT, Mbagathi)
The participants will be drawn from various LEAs and related institutions namely: Kenya Wildlife Service, KRA-Customs, Police, Judiciary, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Immigration, Kenya Airports Authority among others.
Uganda – 15-20 participants – 24th – 25th August 2008 – (Venue-Sports View Hotel, Kereka, Kampala)
This will involve representatives from URA-Customs, Plant Quarantine/Health Inspectorate, Police, Immigration, Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Judiciary among others.
Objectives:
| i) |
To enlighten the participants on the imminent threat posed by illegal trade to wild fauna and flora |
| ii) |
Sensitize law enforcement officers from different agencies on the need for sharing information and co-operation in fighting wildlife crime at entry/exit points. |
Activities Undertaken:
| i) |
An inter-agency awareness workshop jointly organized by LATF and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) was conducted in Lusaka, Zambia from 17th to 20th December 2006. This workshop drew 14 participants from law enforcement agencies manning entry/exit points in Zambia comprising ZAWA (1), Customs(4), Police (2), Immigration (2), Drug Enforcement Commission (2) and Plant Quarantine & Phytosanitary Inspectorate (3).
Some of the entry/exit points represented at the workshop included Kasumbalesa (Zambia/DRC) and Chililabombwe in the northwest (Zambia/DRC), Mwami in the east (Zambia/Malawi), Lusaka International Airport, Kazungula and Chirundu in the south (Zambia/Zimbabwe/Botswana).Read more..
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| ii) |
The Task Force and the Kenya Wildlife Service conducted a similar workshop in Nairobi on 26th and 27th February 2007. This workshop drew 14 participants from law enforcement agencies manning entry/exit points in Kenya namely Mombasa Port, Kiunga, Malindi, Lungalunga, and Taveta, at the Coast, Border points of Lokichogio and Moyale in the north, Kisumu in the West, Moi International Airport (Mombasa) and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
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| iii) |
LATF and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) convened another workshop for entry/exit points in Uganda on 20th and 21st February 2007. Twenty two (22) participants attended the workshop including Police (4), Immigration (2), Customs (5), Agriculture (1), UWA (4), LATF (2), Private Consultant (1), and 3 media representatives mainly drawn from border/exit towns such as Malaba, Busia, Kampala and Entebbe.
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A workshop for Tanzania LEAs was convened in Dar es Salaam from 17th to 19th October 2007. The purpose of the workshop was to create a mechanism, which would enable law enforcement officers from various national agencies and LATF exchange ideas and experiences on wildlife crime with the aim of enhancing co-operation in wildlife law enforcement.
The workshop was organized by the Tanzania Wildlife Division (TWD) in collaboration with LATF, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) and the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). It drew 54 participants representing 16 institutions which included: Customs, Police, Immigration, Forestry, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Fisheries, Postal Services, Port Cargo Handling, ICPO-Interpol and TRAFFIC |
EQUIPMENT
Specialized equipment is a pre-requisite tool for effective execution of field operations. The Task Force has and continues to procure and distribute operational equipment for its own as well as National Bureaus’ use. It continues to adopt new investigative techniques with a view of curtailing the ever increasing sophistication in wildlife crime.In the recent past, the Task Force has acquired and distributed equipment such as the High Frequency radios, surveillance, detection systems and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and others to its National Bureaus.
The Task Force also undertakes reviews of the efficacy of the equipment in its use. Recently, a workshop that drew nine participants from three Party States and LATF was carried out in Nairobi, Kenya in September 2007 to review the performance of the Mole Detector System that had been developed to detect among other items illegally concealed ivory. The workshop guided by the developer/manufacturer of the detector, recommended modification of the equipment including its sensor cards in order to make it more efficient
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
The Task Force being a law enforcement agency attaches great importance to information exchange which in turn facilitates planning and implementation of its activities. Accordingly, it receives and sends out alerts to National Bureaus and other LEAs on information concerning wildlife crime.
The Task Force has entered into cooperation agreements on sharing and exchanging of information with the CITES, OCFSA, ICPO-Interpol and WCO Secretariats.
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