Today marks the official opening of the five day Regional Training on Financial Investigations, Prosecution and Asset Recovery, jointly convened by the Eastern Africa Association of Prosecutors (EAAP), Southern Africa Heads of Prosecution (SAHOP), SecFin Africa and TRAFFIC International, bringing together prosecutors and investigators from 23 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa, from 9th to 13th November 2026 in Windhoek, Namibia.
The training was officially opened by Hon. Adv. Olyvia Martha Imalwa, Prosecutor General of Namibia, who underscored the importance of regional cooperation in confronting transnational criminal networks that exploit trafficking corridors, national borders and financial systems to facilitate environmental crimes and international wildlife trafficking.
The opening ceremony was also graced by Major General Elias Mutota, Deputy Inspector General of Police responsible for Operations, and Mr. Brown Uirab, Executive Director, Ministry of Justice, Namibia.
The training comes at a critical time when environmental crimes and wildlife trafficking are increasingly intertwined with organised crime, money laundering and illicit financial flows.
Disrupting these networks requires going beyond arrests and prosecutions to following the money, tracing illicit financial flows and recovering the proceeds of crime.
Over the next five days, participants will exchange practical experiences, strengthen investigative and prosecutorial approaches, and foster cross border cooperation in combating environmental crimes.