Police chiefs from eastern Africa meet in Ethiopia to discuss regional security. (Photo: SSNPS).

South Sudan police officials are attending a meeting of top police chiefs from the East of Africa – to discuss law enforcement cooperation, and challenges affecting regional security.

The 24th Eastern Africa Police meeting in Ethiopia is attended by Police chiefs of the 14-member states.

They are from Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Djibouti, Eritrea, Tanzania, Comoros, Seychelles, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

South Sudan delegation was headed by Assistant Inspector General of Police for General Administration and Finance Lt. Gen. Abraham manyuat Peter, among others.

The police spokesperson Maj General Daniel Justin says the meeting is aimed to consult on how to combat transnational crime and terrorism.

“The meeting is aimed to find a way of cooperation between the member states to fight transitional crime and terrorism the outcome of the meeting will be tomorrow and render us a full report of the discussion and recommendation and the way forward of the meeting.”

The five days meeting was officially opened by Sehalework Zewde, the president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia on Monday.

It is under the theme “promoting best Practices in the Fight Against Terrorism and Trans-national Organized Crimes in Eastern Africa Police chief’s cooperation organization Region and beyond.

The United Nations General Assembly on 15 December 2000, adopted the Convention against Transnational Crime and its Protocols, which then came into force on 29 September 2003.

So far, 185 UN member-states have signed the Convention, but 9 UN member-states including South Sudan, DR Congo, Somalia, Solomon Islands, Iran, among others are not a party to the document.

But South Sudan has since backed off from signing the UN convention, saying it is not okay with some provisions in the document.

Speaking in Juba in December this year, Interior Minister General Mahmoud Solomon said they are not okay with some provisions in the document and need more time to study the proposal.

General Mahmoud also stated that the government is suspicious of U.S pressure on the government to sign the convention.