two continents united by one purpose: to counter this phenomenon, common criminals who endanger the safety. This is the main theme of the first conference which see Europe and Africa compared
"We do not need interpreters to understand each other because we speak the same language, the language police." With these words, the Chief of Police Antonio Manganelli wanted to finish his opening speech of the Euro-African Conference, held in Naples on 8 and 9 February.
Two days in the shadow of Vesuvius, which was attended by delegates of the police in 68 countries (almost 300 participants between European and African) and 11 international organizations, all gathered with one purpose: to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement bodies of the two continents.
It was a unique opportunity for comparison between two worlds apparently distant, but deeply united in the common challenge that endangers their safety.
A journey that began long ago, from that in September last year when the Chief of Police and the Secretary General of Interpol Ronald Noble, decided in a meeting in Brussels, to meet in a conference that would put sitting around the European and African countries the same table.
Forty-eight hours, then, may seem little to address problems Fundamental affecting an area as vast as that of Africa and, inevitably, have a bearing on the Old Continent, but they are just a starting point.
A conference, therefore, not an end in itself, as pointed out repeatedly Manganelli, a meeting not only made of words and good intentions for the future, but of facts. And this demonstration of the presence of delegations from African countries, 44 (out of 53) and 24 other countries (Europe at all) to discuss issues affecting the African continent and that have an impact on the rest of the globe . Illegal immigration, human trafficking, drug trafficking and terrorism were the topics on which they rotate the two-day Naples.
From here, you might say, nothing new compared to a regular meeting on international security, but it is not. After a first day in which the various speakers took turns on stage for the conference room of Hotel Royal Continental Naples, and in which they were exposed to the "good intentions", the second day marked the real news of conferences of this kind: the establishment of four tables of discussion under the auspices of the Italian presidency on the topics listed above and which was attended by delegates from the African police, along with European, Asian and American.
Four tables, therefore, that do not cover their operation at the end of the summit closing the work simply by drawing up a final report full of good intentions, but four real standing committees that will meet several times in the coming months to take stock of the situation on the issues addressed.
"The phenomena that we deal in this conference - has continued Manganelli - offend our country and only by acting together can be contained or even eradicated. They are often intertwined and often favored internal political and social instability, poverty and despair. " Highly relevant topic addressed by the Chief of Police, in the light recent events that are shaking the North Africa and in the first half of February, brought back to the landing of thousands of illegal immigrants on our shores.
"We think - said Manganelli - to police what we can do. You need a strong joint action to make our stay together the added value of our struggle. " And in this respect Italy, in fact, has signed important bilateral agreements with other nations. The last was during the days of the Naples summit with South Africa, Djibouti and Sudan to deal with the criminality of illegal immigration. "In implementing these agreements - said the chief of police - every time we have identified five objectives that I believe are of primary importance: the timely exchange of information, the initiation of joint investigations, the provision of training courses for professionals in different fields of action, the 'technical assistance with the provision of resources and the mutual exchange of officials. A partnership in which other organisms are also essential as in the case of migration of Frontex (European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union, ed).
Collaboration is therefore the watchword, the fundamental principle because widely divergent continents may find common ground in the fight common phenomena that lead to social unrest, such as terrorism. "At the moment - said Interior Minister Roberto Maroni - the new threat is the so-called" franchise terrorism ", namely the one made by people who are no longer trained in the camps of Al Qaeda, but who live in our countries and that often, they do have citizenship. " The homegrown terrorist, terrorists do-it-yourself, are not directly linked to international terror network, but are capable of self-employment. They are also the most dangerous, because more difficult to detect and thus be neutralized. Internet rushes to their aid, which are documented on the principles of religious fundamentalism and which are the "instructions &rdqquo; for their actions. And the "Cyberspace as a new platform for radicalization: comparing experiences" was the topic of the table dedicated to supporting international terrorism summit in Naples. "Internet - said the police chief - protect the anonymity makes it easier contact between the cell belonging to subversive and, having no physical and geographical borders in cyberspace, makes investigations more difficult." Important agreements have been reached in this area, On the sidelines of the conference, among the countries and organizations attended the round table (including NCIS, the U.S. Naval Investigative Service), focusing on building synergistic relationships in the field of monitoring
But Net including drug trafficking and the even more odious human beings, were among the topics which have driven the summit in Naples.
Drug traffickers, after the strengthening of controls in the North-West Africa, have opened new ways, thanks to the particular topography of the coast of Africa, for their shape, are difficult to control. The table was dedicated to drug trafficking analyzed in depth the phenomenon, especially in light of predictions about the "new ways" of drugs such as cocaine, which is dedicated to the opening in the southern region of the continent or the Horn of Africa and countries bordering the Indian Ocean with regard to heroin, and yet has identified Africa as the future epicenter for the production of synthetic drugs. Heroin, cocaine, pills all for the European market. Encourage the creation of an information flow that can give a thorough and updated knowledge of the situation, try to standardize systems and languages \u200b\u200bof communication, joint planning project activities and seek to harmonize the standards are main points on which they are found by mutual agreement of the participants.
But another kind of traffic which is unfortunately a sad reality is that human beings, "new slaves" of our century. "I have now tried - said Antonio Manganelli - Contacts between our criminal organizations and those of Turkey, Greece, Egypt and cells of other countries. We have shared our knowledge and we are fighting the problem through bilateral agreements. This is the way forward. " And on these subjects were compared to countries that took part in the roundtable discussion on the phenomenon, and concluded to make "permanent" table, giving himself an appointment in six months with a new date to take stock delllla situation.
Drug trafficking, illegal immigration and new slaves are all phenomena in the hands of the transnational organized crime, said Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, "is the new enemy to fight polluting economies and institutions and erodes democracy . Weak states are more prone to infiltration of this crime, which uses them as a basis for its activities and influences them, or threatening to do so, using systematic corruption and violence. Not to mention that now have proven the synergies between terrorism and transnational organized crime. " And to confirm the words of the minister, adding also that of the Chief of Police: "The true goal is to attack the wealth of criminal organizations to impoverish. We must take back what they have stolen and that, through drug dealing, has cost the lives of many of our children. "
So a real struggle without borders that is waiting for the future of African and European police forces, often aided by an uneven legislation from State to State. "Talking about the harmonization of these laws - noted Manganelli - is equivalent to an academic exercise with good intentions. We all know that you can not get a single law between countries that have traditions, cultures, goals and principles are not always common. This should be our effort, dialogue and work together by harmonizing that is not reconcilable, we must compensate with our technical teams, speaking the same language, with the desire to achieve the same goal, along with reading what our laws, do not read the same way. "
A common objective of the Conference of Naples is only the starting point.
The long road to Euro-African Naples Royal Continental Hotel. It is here that there are almost all African countries' police chiefs sitting next to their colleagues Europe, representatives of EU institutions and major international organizations working for global security. The main objective the fight against illegal immigration and trafficking of human beings who, as pointed out by Interior Minister Roberto Maroni during the presentation of the project Across Sahara II (designed to develop regional cooperation and institutional capacity in border management and immigration, pictured below left), require a global response: "You have to understand, and make it clear that the era of globalization, the migration issue is a problem in the countries of Northern Europe no less than it is qi for Italy or Greece. That is the size of the challenge requires a global response in terms of shared responsibility between European countries and cooperation with countries of origin and transit, cooperation in multilateral and international organizations, even on the side of development programs and stabilization. How and by what, in the near future, we will put into practice their commitment to strengthening the capacity of third countries to control illegal immigration flows will depend in large part the welfare of our society, the integration of immigrants in them regular and, more generally, the safety of our citizens and those who welcome. " And to think Some African countries represented here have bilateral agreements on security only with our country within the EU. Others, however, are not on good terms with each other. For this reason it was difficult to have them all around the same table, this was important. The idea was announced by the Chief of Police at the Symposium Eu - Interpol (pictured below right), designed to take stock of the cooperation between European police forces and those of West African countries held in Brussels on 30 September. Organize a conference, the euro-African, in Italy, to reach the establishment of permanent working groups called to plan and execute concrete operational initiatives of African and European police forces to combat criminal organizations that exploit the "new slaves" and carry out joint police operations to prevent the phenomenon. During the meeting, the prefect Manganelli proposed Italy as the leader of the Europe-Africa partnership of police in combating terrorism, trafficking and trafficking in human beings. We have come a long way to achieve this goal. A road made of notes: political, operational, bilateral and multilateral agreements. As the one signed with Nigeria and coordinated by Interpol (pictured right), to deal with illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings, which has led some Nigerian police, after training, to work shoulder to shoulder with the Italian colleagues in international airports, ports, and in some cities. Or the one signed with Algeria, which is also to strengthen cooperation on immigration, which has allowed us to significantly increase the exchange of information and experience between the Algerian and Italian police. Among the most important agreements are referred to those made with the aim to counter, already at their source, the flow of illegal immigration to Italy, the agreements with the GhanGhana and Niger. As explained by the Interior Minister: "We have excellent bilateral agreements with Mediterranean countries Africa, in the range from Morocco to Egypt, but they tend to be transit countries of illegal flows that actually originate from the states south of the Sahara. That's why we want to expand the security zone in that area not only with regard to immigration, but also to combat terrorism and drug trafficking. " L 'importance of these arrangements has been highlighted by the prefect Manganelli: "We are making agreements with all countries in the area. These countries "producers" and we want to combat these illegal flows. It is also a way to fight terrorism because countries Islamized know there is the phenomenon of fanaticism the danger that illegal immigration can be a vehicle for entry into Italy of terrorists. " Achieving the right balance between politics of reception and integration on the one hand and strict policy towards illegal immigration, which often feeds other forms of crime. This is a difficult test in front of which all European countries will compete.
Mauro Valeri http://www.poliziadistato.it/poliziamoderna/articolo.php?cod_art=2175