EAAP Strategic Planning Meeting and Training of the EAAP Focal Points (EX-COM) on the use and Application of the Court Case Tracking Tool and Cross-Border Wildlife Crime Trends

The EAAP held a focal points workshop for the EAAP member states in the Executive Committee of the Association in Kigali, Rwanda from the 18th to 22nd June 2023 to undertake development of the EAAP strategic plan and to be further trained on the case tracking tool to be embedded on the EAAP website.

The workshop which was hosted by the EAAP and the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) Rwanda, was supported through the generous funding of TRAFFIC International East Africa and International Development Law Organization (IDLO) Kenya.

During the three (3) day workshop, focal points and prosecutors from the EAAP member states of Rwanda, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda, developed a further draft of the EAAP strategic plan 2023-2027, deliberated on the functionalities of the wildlife case tracking tool and finalized on the wildlife case digest. This workshop was able to build up on the Nairobi, workshop held from the 25th to 27th April 2023 that developed the draft wildlife case digest.

The EAAP strategic plan is a 5 -year strategy and during this workshop the delegates reviewed and developed the strategic objectives and activities that would be the priority areas for the Association. The next steps would be to develop the implementation matrix, annual plan as the same are circulated to members for further comments. Further meetings are anticipated to finalize on the remaining areas of the strategic plan.

On the other hand, the wildlife case tracking tool is designed to monitor wildlife crime court cases. It is intended to contain records and information on the cases collected to enhance the capacity and knowledge of regional prosecutors on case monitoring, analysis, and act as a reference point for prosecuting the cases. The case tracking tool is to be linked to the EAAP website to enable easy access by prosecutors in the EAAP member prosecution authorities and in the region.

Finally, the wildlife case digest will undergo final edits and is expected to be uploaded to the website once completed.

EAAP focal points’ workshop for the validation of the wildlife case digest, updating of the EAAP strategic plan and introduction of the IDLO EATOC project

The Eastern Africa Association of Prosecutors (EAAP) held a 3-day workshop from 25th to 27th April 2023 in Nairobi for Focal Point Persons, representing the Executive Committee of the Association that sought to:

1. Validate the Eastern Africa Wildlife Case Digest.

2. Update the Draft EAAP Strategic Plan 2022-2026 to help the association achieve its vision and mission; as well as

3.  Introduce the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) Eastern Africa Transnational Organized Crime (EATOC) Project.

 The Case Digest will contain high-profile wildlife cases being prosecuted and new critical laws being enacted and amended by various jurisdictions.

The IDLO EATOC Project will entail the development of Regional Policy Frameworks on Transnational Organised Crimes (TOC). The Project will also engage investigators, prosecutors & judicial officers in the region to increasingly coordinate their identification, prevention, and response to transnational organised crimes

Training of Prosecutors on Asset Recovery, Illicit Financial Flows, International Cooperation on Combating Wildlife & Other Serious Crimes

The East Africa Association of Prosecutors (EAAP) held a training workshop for the technical committee of the Association, comprising the focal points of the member countries, in Nairobi, Kenya on 14th -17th March, 2022 under the theme “the use of asset recovery, Anti-money laundering and international cooperation in combating wildlife crime and other transnational crimes.”

The workshop featured presentations and deliberations on the following areas:

1. Overview of Wildlife Crime & trends in East Africa;

2. Addressing Transnational Organized Crime and international Cooperation to Combat illicit Trafficking of Wildlife, Narcotics, and other serious Crimes;

3. Following the Money and Asset Recovery as tools to combat Transnational Organized Crimes;

4. International legal and practical mechanisms for successful recovery of Wildlife Crime;

5. Emerging Transnational Organized Crimes: Combating Wildlife Crimes linked to the Internet

The presentations were done by the focal points from member countries as well as experts from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), African Wildlife Foundation, Space for Giants, and the East Africa Community Secretariat.

The Workshop further provided an opportunity for the EAAP Technical Committee to draft and prepare the structure of the next EAAP Strategic Plan, after the strategic plan 2016-2022 comes to an end. 

The delegates from member countries got the opportunity to visit the Prosecution Training Institute (PTI) in Loresho, Kenya as it develops towards being the premier prosecution training institute in the region.