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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

AFRICAN Union member states, including Zimbabwe, are working on establishing a continental operational centre to spearhead efforts to combat the scourge of trans-national organised crime, particularly human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The centre will be located in Khartoum, Sudan where the facility has already been set up and waiting to be operationalised.
The AU Commission organised an inaugural workshop in Victoria Falls last week, which was attended by various stakeholders including national, regional and international law enforcements agencies in Africa such as Interpol and experts from AU.

The purpose of the workshop was to discuss issues around irregular migration including coming up with a strategic plan, and how best the centre can be operationalised.
It also sought to provide a platform for exchanging information aimed at combating the scourge of trans-national organised crime which is common.

Some cross-border criminal syndicates use Zimbabwe as a transit route to South Africa.
Discussions zeroed in on member states sharing information on the scourge of transnational organised crime particularly human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and irregular migration.

Speaking during the event, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Permanent Secretary Mr Aaron Nhepera said focus is now on coming up with the correct model for the centre in Khartoum as well as formulating a five-strategic plan.

He said Zimbabwe is committed to the establishment of an institutional framework which will contribute towards combating human trafficking.

“The workshop is thus seeking to give member states an opportunity to agree on a feasible operational model of the Khartoum Centre and successfully formulate a five-year strategic plan of the continental operational centre in Sudan. Zimbabwe in the context of Sadc is already working hard in the fight against these transnational organised crimes of human trafficking,” said Mr Nhepera.

“Indeed, we have no other option as a continent, regions and individual countries other than working closely with each other. We can’t achieve anything if we can’t work together.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs is the chair of an inter-ministerial committee on human trafficking working in collaboration with neighbouring countries.
Numerous incidents of foreign nationals being arrested for illegally entering Zimbabwe have been recorded especially in border towns like Victoria Falls and Beitbridge enroute to South Africa.

Mr Nhepera said irregular migration and human trafficking is a challenge in Zimbabwe.
“We are still coming across groups of people traversing through our country. Most of them would be intending to proceed to their destination while others choose to stay in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“We have been apprehending these people and sending them back to their countries of origin through the relevant UN Agencies.”

 

The decision to establish a continental operational centre in Sudan was endorsed by the Assembly during the 32nd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly held in February 2019.
Zimbabwe has also domesticated the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, through the Trafficking in Persons Act, which criminalises human trafficking.

Zimbabwe is also working closely with other Sadc member states, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to combat transnational organised crime.“Indeed, we have no other option as a continent, regions and individual countries other than working closely with each other. We can’t achieve anything if we can’t work together,” said Mr Nhepera.

AU Commission senior technical advisor for migration governance and liaison, Mr Peter Mudungwe said the establishment of the centre in Khartoum is long overdue following an upsurge in transnational organised crime.

He said the centre will help the continent to address irregular migration, which is one of the challenges affecting the continent. – @ncubeleon