African Police Chiefs meet in Algiers

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is hosting the meeting of African Police Chiefs from 10-11 February in Algiers. The meeting is held in support of the efforts towards the establishment of an African Union Police Coordination Mechanism (AFRIPOL).

The meeting is attended by Police Chiefs from more than 40 AU Member States. The aim of the meeting is to provide opportunity for Member States to consult on the establishment of the continental mechanism of AFRIPOL.

The opening session featured statements by Mr. Abdelmalek SELLAL, Prime Minister of Algeria; Ambassador Smail CHERGUI, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, and Mr. Abdelghani HAMEL, Major General, General Director of National Security of Algeria.

The statements emphasized that policing is a critical component in the maintenance of law and order in stable societies, and re-establishment of the rule of law in post-conflict and peace-building situations for purposes of stabilization, and that it should, therefore, be considered core in the quest for peace, security and stability on the continent, and as a major support to the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).