INTERPOL, as implementing partner of the GLACY+ Project, organised the 9th Africa Working Group Meeting on Cybercrime for Head of Units (AF-WGM) in Rwanda from 18 to 22 July 2022. The AF-WGM is an annual event that aims to facilitate sharing of information and best practices in the region. This year, 58 participants from 43 countries participated, including six representatives from GLACY+ priority countries in Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Nigeria and Mauritius.
The speakers represented entities working on cybercrime-related topics in the region, from both public and private sectors, such as Rwanda Investigation Bureau, Ghana Police Service, Cybercrime Directorate of INTERPOL, AFRICERT, Rwanda CERT, South Africa CERT, Palo Alto Network (PAN), Trend Micro, UNODC, Binance, Facebook, Microsoft, and Shadowserver.
As part of the AF-WGM, the GLACY+ project delivered a workshop on Channels and Avenues for International Cooperation on 21-22 July. The workshop was a joint effort of INTERPOL, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice and the United States Department of Justice. Participants were presented with scenario-based exercises on data preservation, mutual legal assistance, parallel financial investigation, and other cooperative mechanisms.
In parallel with the main event, the Africa Cyber Surge training and operation took place from 18 July to 5 August 2022. It followed recommendations from past AF-WGMs for INTERPOL to conduct, facilitate and coordinate joint operations against cybercrime in the African region. Twenty-two countries in the region participated in the joint operation.
The next INTERPOL Working Group Meeting for Heads of Units will be held in the LATAM region in September 2022.
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