Tanzania, Kenya vow to curb trans-boundary terrorism

Leaders urge security forces to share information, strategies

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania 

Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to step up their fight against cross-border terrorism and human trafficking, which have put their countries in a bad light internationally.

“We have agreed to fight terrorism, drug and human trafficking, and the rest of the transboundary crimes that are making our region uncompetitive and giving us a bad name,” Kenyan President William Ruto said during a press briefing shortly after holding talks with his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The East African nations have lately been plagued by a spate of cross-border terrorism activities which observers say greatly contributed to the waning investor confidence in their lucrative sectors such as tourism and natural gas exploration.

The two countries are seeking to build the capacities of their security agencies to fight cross-border crimes such as terrorism, human and drug trafficking and animal poaching, which pose a threat to the stability of the East African region

Ruto, who is in Tanzania for a two-day state visit, said the two countries have agreed to enhance cooperation between their security forces by sharing information and strategies to tame security challenges and secure the region while reducing negative effects from unsecured boundaries.

Tanzania, which discovered huge reserves of natural gas in southern parts of the country, has been experiencing sporadic incidents of terrorism where gunmen from Mozambique’s restive province of Cabo Delgado have been sneaking into the country to commit crimes that have left dozens of people dead and resulted in loss of property.

Speaking during a televised press conference, President Hassan said drug and human trafficking crimes have tarnished the international images of Tanzania and Kenya.

“We want our security forces to seriously discuss issues related to terrorism and human trafficking and come up with solutions,” she said.

“Human trafficking crimes have put our country in a bad light…In fact, those trafficked are not Tanzanians. We simply arrest them. But when they arrive here, records show they are from Tanzania and Kenya,” she added.