The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said transnational crimes have surged in Africa despite AFRIPOL and INTERPOL efforts on defusing several criminal networks.
Youssouf made the remark at the 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference being held in Cape Town, South Africa where delegates are discussing police cooperation in Africa, including the fight against transnational organised crime.
“This is a critical time. We are facing multiple crises simultaneously: geopolitical instability, climate change, and supply chain disruptions. These crises are being exploited by increasingly agile criminal networks, which are finding new opportunities to infiltrate, thrive, and destabilize,” said Youssouf in a speech seen by APA on Thursday.
He said transnational organised crime continues to plan, target, and strike, while becoming stronger and interconnected.
He said terrorism in Africa, meanwhile, persists and is transforming: from the Sahel-Saharan region to the Horn of Africa, armed groups are exploiting local tensions, relying on criminal revenues, and seeking to expand their influence.
According to the chairperson, joint AFRIPOL–INTERPOL and regional operations, such as Neptune and Usalama, have helped neutralise several cells and protect hundreds of victims, but the challenge remains immense.
The chairperson said recent joint operations organised by AFRIPOL and INTERPOL illustrate both the scale of the threats posed by transnational organised crime.
“Operation OTAPI, AFRIPOL’s first cross-border operation against illicit goods, took place from 14–20 October 2024 and involved six West and East African countries. It resulted in the arrest of 80 suspects, the rescue of 12 victims of human trafficking, and the seizure of drugs, fake medicines, weapons, vehicles, false travel documents, and protected species,” he said.
Operations HAWK (2024), Eagles’ Nest (23–27 September 2024), and Djembé (16–20 June 2025), all jointly organised by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, eloquently illustrate the power of international police cooperation in the face of transnational organised crime, he noted.
These operations have led, among other things, to the seizure of more than 4 tons of drugs, the arrest of hundreds of suspects, the dismantling of cross-border criminal networks, and the rescue of victims of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. They have also led to seizures of weapons, vehicles, and illicit goods worth millions of dollars.
He said the African Union will continue to support and coordinate, respecting the sovereignty of its members and strategic partnerships.
The AU supports the raising of ethical standards, the prevention of abuse, the protection of victims and witnesses, and the promotion of community-oriented policing.
Technology must never obscure our values as success is measured by results and their sustainability, he said.
MG/as/APA