By: Mohamed Jalloh
The West African Police Information System (WAPIS) launch at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown represents a huge progress in amplifying the capacity of the security sector.
The digital security capacity has positioned Sierra Leone at a vantage point in combating transnational organized crime across the West African Sub-region.
During the inauguration of WAPIS, Ambrose Sovula the Inspector General of police assured the participants that the effective functioning of the WAPIS system is high among the priorities for the Sierra Leone Police and that all partners are guaranteed of the organizations unwavering commitment in this regard.
This is a timely development, at a period the region is grappling with enormous and multiple security challenges.
Located at the upper Guinea coast, the country would serve as the nucleus in exchanging police information in ECOWAS member states and Mauritania. The idea that triggers the formation of WAPIS emanates from a common security reality in the region. A legitimate concern ignited by the burgeoning spate of illegal activities that has marred the region.
Trans organized crime is proliferating. Drug trafficking, carjacking, money laundering, counterfeiting, migrant smuggling and armed robbery are common occurrences.
Piracy is becoming profitable in the region. The gulf of Guinea has overtaken the Gulf of Aden in acts of piracy for ransom in Africa.
The region is further contending with cybercrime and international terrorism. Islamic radicals and other criminals are increasingly attracted to the region, taking advantage of porous borders and weak security infrastructure. Vulnerabilities are easily exploited. Security slits at national, regional and international level has enticed criminals in making the region a hub for illegal activities. Such illicit acts have the potential to destabilize the economy and could equally jeopardize the stability and security of any state.
For intelligence agencies, underestimating the threats such menacing activities pose to the tranquility and security of the state could be a huge miscalculation.
For example if authorities can destroy the market for drugs it would become unavailable for consumption.
If drug law enforcement agencies succeed in annihilating the market for drugs, it is like cutting the head of a serpent where in drug consumption on a massive scale would be adequately contained.
Nipping the menace on time before the majority of youths become addicted would save a national catastrophe. Drugs could render a whole generation of countrymen useless due to substance infatuation, as with the peril posed by the substance called KUSH on the lives of young people.
More dangerous, could be acts of piracy, cyber-attacks and terrorism which could lead to loss of lives and the disruption of a country`s economy. The instability posed by Islamic jihadist has led to the overthrow of democratically elected governments in Mali and Burkina Faso in West Africa. In both ECOWAS member states, insecurity perpetrated by Islamic extremist was peddled as the preeminent factor by the military to chase out popular elected presidents. The strategy is used as a pretext by the military to create junta governments.
After accessing power through coups, the military further consolidates its power and forestalls the return to constitutional rule. With the military visibly active in politics, the political future of Mali, Burkina Faso and even Guinea is marred by uncertainty. A contagion of military takeovers is brewing that also witnessed a coup attempt in Guinea Bissau, a country wrestling with drug transiting and trafficking. Other people`s oriented governments across the region are jittery over fears of a spillover of coups.
The existential threat posed by Jihadist terrorism to elected governments should not be underestimated. It is a reality and the danger is never far away. Brazenly, they have infiltrated the Mano river sub-region by hitting targets at beaches in Ivory Coast frequented by western nationals. Wherever terrorist attacks are rife, the military can easily provide justification for a coup to legitimize seizure of power. Therefore, any foresighted government must prioritize the need to prevent attacks from Islamic jihadist on its territory.
Another realistic threat to the economic stability and security of any state has to do with cybercrimes. Countries and groups engage in cyber-attack to achieve military and political advantage. Cybercrime can span multiple jurisdictions and the anonymity of cyberspace makes identity tracing a significant problem that can hinder police investigation. When the United States of America (USA) took down the Iranian general Kassim Suleimani in January 2021 through the use of a drone attack, some of the retaliatory measures by Iran included cyber-attacks on American economic interest. The Sierra Leone Commercial Bank whose cyber infrastructure was connected to an ecosystem in USA had it digital financial services disrupted for couple of days. Even though the system was later restored, the danger cyber exploits can pose thousands of miles away was manifested by the SLCB cyber-attack. The implications of cyber-attacks can be overarching. Apart from causing deaths, it can bring a country`s economy to its knees.
Data can be stolen by hackers, leading to operational disruption and reputational damage for institutions and companies. With the establishment of WAPIS, cyber resilience would be gradually enhanced. This could be made possible by building a resilient ecosystem in West Africa which facilitates the sharing of timely and actionable cyber security information through proactive detection of threats. Tackling globalized threats such as cyber-attacks cannot be done alone and in isolation. Threats that are stimulated by globalization must only be tackled through multilateral cooperation as manifested with the creation of WAPIS.
By working concertedly, through effective police information exchange, the threats posed by felonious element operating across frontiers would be minimized to the lowest ebb.
Therefore, the operationalization of WAPIS from Freetown is geared towards a security guarantee for the people of West Africa and beyond.
The WAPIS system in Sierra Leone will improve the country`s capacity to respond to national, regional and international criminal threats.
By bringing together all security and law enforcement bodies, the center will collect, centralize, manage and analyze data from criminal cases in a digital format.
Information is then shared electronically, among national law enforcement bodies and other countries in the region and INTERPOL which is the central hub.
The migration from paper police records to an electronics police data exchange system is a significant catch up with what transpires in advance countries.
It has enhanced the capacity of the police to better prevent and tackle crime.
The system will allow the processing of data collected during criminal investigations such as types of offences, bio data, vehicle registration, traveling documents, etc.
However, the WAPIS programme should not be used to violate people`s rights.
Legal questions and sensitive issues regarding the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms must be adequately dealt with. As police information system contains sensitive data, such as personal data-WAPIS must operate within an appropriate legal frame work. It has been emphasized that participating countries in the WAPIS programme must comply with international conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations Charter, African Charter on Human and People`s right and the ECOWAS treaty and its supplementary protocols on personal data protection.
