Sierra Leone Makes History With First African Selection for INTERPOL DMT Training
Alusine Ahmed Kargbo Sierra Leone has become the first African country selected for training on the Database Management Tool of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), aimed at improving police information management and international cooperation against cross-border crime.
INTERPOL specialists from its Secretariat in Lyon, France, recently presented gifts to Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu in recognition of his support for strengthening the Sierra Leone Police’s cooperation and capabilities within INTERPOL systems.
The DMT training places Sierra Leone among three countries selected for the initiative so far. According to INTERPOL officials, Malta and North Macedonia were the first two countries to benefit from the programme.
The wider initiative covers 15 countries and is expected to be completed by December. In Sierra Leone, a two-day workshop has been organised to train police officers in using and managing the new tool.
The training is expected to help officers handle, analyse and share information more effectively through INTERPOL systems. Better information exchange is particularly important in investigations involving criminal networks that operate across national borders.
INTERPOL specialists Najwa Hemri and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sheku Bahja-Koroma also highlighted several developments within the Sierra Leone Police under IGP Sellu’s leadership.
These include expanded training opportunities for officers, the installation of West African Police Information System (WAPIS) workstations in the country’s six police regions and some divisional headquarters, and efforts to strengthen data protection laws.
Sellu also serves as chairman of the West African Police Chiefs’ organisation.
The new training comes as police forces in West Africa face growing concerns about the movement of weapons, drugs and other illegal goods across borders.
Sellu said the region was dealing with serious security threats, including the movement of small arms from the Sahel toward coastal countries. He said criminal groups were increasingly seeking access to coastal areas, creating additional risks of weapons and drug trafficking.
The police chief said stronger cooperation with INTERPOL and access to modern information-management systems would help Sierra Leone respond to these threats.
Sierra Leone is already participating in WAPIS, a regional platform designed to improve the collection and exchange of police information. Sellu said continued training and participation in regional information-sharing systems would help ensure that Sierra Leone remains an effective partner in international law enforcement.
“With Sierra Leone on the WAPIS platform and the continuous capacity-building of our personnel, I am optimistic that Sierra Leone will not be the weak link in the chain,” Sellu said.
The DMT training is expected to strengthen the Sierra Leone Police’s ability to manage information and cooperate with police agencies in other countries on investigations involving transnational organised crime.