EU, ECOWAS lunch initiative to fight crime in West Africa

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Government have launched ‘Organised Crime: West African Response (OCWAR) projects to counter criminal activities in the region.

The project, according to a statement by European Union (EU) on Friday, will fight against cybercrime, combat drugs and human trafficking, address money laundering and financing of terrorism and fraud.

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“The event showcased the strong commitment of both ECOWAS and European Union member States to reduce transnational organised crime in West Africa.

“Many criminal activities in West Africa are transnational in nature and demand a regional response to effectively strike down on criminal networks.

“We hope that the support will boost a regional response decisively addressing all forms of organised crime.

“This is vital for peace and security,” says the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil KARLSEN.

Also in the statement, German Ambassador, Birgitt ORY, said: “The current security challenges in the Sahel underscore the need for decisive multilateral cooperation.

“Transnational crime in West Africa needs to be met with a regional response.

“Countering and preventing organised crime in West Africa continues to be a high priority for Germany.”

The statement mentioned that the main beneficiaries of the OCWAR projects are all 15 ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania.

Also, the overall EU contribution equals EUR 41 million, which includes the German Federal Government co-financing of the OCWAR T project totalling EUR 5 million. The projects will run until 2022-2023.

“Organised crime in West Africa takes many forms.

“The three OCWAR projects are designed as a coherent, three-pronged approach to criminal activities: 1) fight against cybersecurity threats and cybercrime (OCWAR C); 2) combatting trafficking in drugs, human beings and firearms (OCWAR T); 3) addressing cross cutting issues such as money laundering, financing of terrorism and fraud (OCWAR M).

“Working on all three fronts will allow for greater synergy and strengthening of inter-agency collaboration. Moreover, the projects build on and complement previous and on-going EU-funded support, including to the West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS),” the statement added.