EAPCCO is a coalition of 14 East African nations working together to combat transnational crimes that affect member states.
Typically, all member countries participate in such meetings to collectively make decisions. However, any absent member is expected to provide a reason for their nonattendance.
At the start of the first session, which gathered representatives of criminal investigation agencies from member countries, only 13 out of 14 countries were present.
The DRC was the only nation absent. IGIHE has learnt that DRC did not provide an explanation for its absence.
The DRC's decision not to attend comes at a time when relations between Rwanda and the DRC remain strained.
According to EAPCCO regulations, an absent member that does not provide a reason cannot prevent the meeting from proceeding or stop decisions from being made.
However, once decisions are approved, any absent country has the right to object to specific resolutions or opt not to implement them within its jurisdiction.
The decision-making process at the EAPCCO General Assembly occurs in three stages. In the first stage, representatives of criminal investigation agencies draft a report outlining the year's agreed priorities.
This report is then submitted to police chiefs during the second session, where it is reviewed and adjusted. Finally, the revised report is presented to ministers responsible for police affairs in member countries for final approval.
Established in 1998, EAPCCO consists of 14 member states namely; Rwanda, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and DRC.
IGIHE
