Morocco-Led INTERPOL Conference Strengthens Africa’s Crime Fighting Capacity

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A landmark gathering of African police leaders concluded with Morocco’s newly-elected INTERPOL Vice President spearheading ambitious security cooperation initiatives as transnational crime statistics reveal unprecedented challenges across the continent.

The 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference wrapped up in Cape Town with delegates from across the continent endorsing comprehensive recommendations to combat cybercrime, terrorism, and financial crimes that have plagued African nations. Conference Chair Mohammed Dkhissi, Morocco’s Director of Judicial Police and newly-elected INTERPOL Vice President for Africa, emphasized the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation as crime syndicates exploit weak governance structures.

“The region must commit to ensuring that frontline officers have access to, and make maximum use of, INTERPOL’s policing capabilities,” Dkhissi stated, outlining Morocco’s strategic vision for South-South security cooperation.

The three-day gathering addressed pressing security challenges including ransomware attacks, digital extortion, and the alarming rise in cocaine trafficking through the Sahel region, where seizures increased from an average of 13 kilograms between 2013-2020 to 1,466 kilograms in 2022 alone. Social media platforms showcased mixed reactions, with law enforcement officials highlighting collaborative successes while critics questioned the effectiveness of current strategies against increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.

Continental Crime Statistics Reveal Sobering Reality

Recent data from the Africa Organised Crime Index 2023 underscores the conference’s urgency, revealing that East Africa maintains the continent’s highest criminality levels at 5.88 points, followed by West Africa at 5.44 points. Human trafficking, cybercrime, and financial crimes emerged as the most pervasive threats, with Kenya scoring particularly high across all criminal markets assessed, including human trafficking (8.0 out of 10) and cyber-dependent crimes (8.0 out of 10).

The Western Cape’s gang violence statistics presented at the conference painted a stark picture, with 263 of 294 gang-related murders between October-December 2024 occurring in the region, representing 90% of all gang-related murders nationally. South African Police National Commissioner Fannie Masemola addressed these concerning trends, noting over 55,000 arrests in the Western Cape alone since April 2024.

Morocco’s election to INTERPOL’s executive committee by an overwhelming majority of 96 member countries reflects growing confidence in the Kingdom’s security leadership. The appointment positions Morocco to coordinate rapid responses to terrorist threats linked to regional extremist organizations while addressing unconventional risks associated with artificial intelligence misuse by organized crime groups.

The conference established a new INTERPOL African Committee to set future regional priorities and launched NEXUS, a secure case messaging platform for real-time operational coordination across borders. With Africa representing nearly one-third of INTERPOL’s membership through 54 member countries, the continent’s role in global law enforcement continues expanding, evidenced by a 60% increase in positive query results on African data in 2024 compared to 2023.