By Justin Mkweu:
Malawi registered 41,000 transnational crimes last year, albeit a reduction from 42, 800 cases registered in 2024.
This was revealed in Blantyre City during the 17th Session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Defense and Security between Malawi and Mozambique.
The meeting started on Monday this week and ended Wednesday.
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The crimes include illegal and irregular cross-border trade, irregular migration, illegal mining and human trafficking, among others.
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Speaking at the closing ceremony, chairperson for the commission, who is also Malawi’s Minister of Defence, Feston Kaupa, said the drop was a result of joint efforts that the countries have been taking to reduce crime.
He added that the sessions enable the two countries to learn from each other and also know how one can benefit from another, in terms of legal instruments that prevent crime.
“Here, we are talking about the joint commission with Mozambique but these are commissions that we, as a country, also have with Zambia and Tanzania— which means we do joint efforts with all our neighbours,” Kaupa said.
Being the 17th session, Malawi and Mozambique have been meeting for 16 years.
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Kaupa added that, going forward, they would make sure that they intensify implementation of the resolutions that those at the sessions make.
“From this meeting, we have made resolutions that we should jointly implement what we have agreed. When we meet again in Mozambique next year, during the 18th session, we should track progress,” he said.
In his remarks, Mozambique’s Minister of Internal Security Paulo Chachine expressed his government’s willingness to work on what has been agreed by the two countries.
He added that they would make sure that the two countries enhance the capacity of their officers.
“Consolidation is the key pillar of our operations and this will help make our corridors secure and make them places that cannot be used as transit points of crime,” Chachine said.
