Senegal-Guinea-Bissau border: joint patrols to strengthen security
Senegal and Guinea-Bissau want to take a new step in securing their common border. They plan to set up joint patrols against cross-border crime, illicit trafficking and other security threats.
On Tuesday, August 11, the Ziguinchor region hosted a joint planning meeting for future patrols between the Senegalese and Guinea-Bissau defense and security forces. Administrative authorities, military, gendarmes and other relevant services participated in the work. During the opening ceremony, the governor of Ziguinchor, Mor Talla Tine called for a concerted response to better face the multiple threats. “Threats ignore borders. We must therefore better anticipate risks, strengthen surveillance and provide coordinated responses to different forms of crime and insecurity,” he maintained.
The civilian administrator also pleaded for an approach going beyond the military dimension alone. “Sustainable border security must involve defense and security forces, local authorities, populations and all the services concerned,” said Mr. Tine. He defended the idea of a special program for governance of border areas, particularly in territories formerly affected by the conflict in Casamance.
Colonel Cheikh Guèye, commander of military zone No. 5, welcomed this initiative intended to strengthen security coordination between the two countries. “It is not simply a question of planning joint activities, but of building a sustainable operational cooperation framework, based on trust, consultation and complementarity,” underlined the Senegalese army officer.
The latter stressed that the sharing of information remains decisive. In his opinion, “the fight against cross-border crime, illicit trafficking and suspicious movements requires close coordination, regular circulation of information and perfect knowledge of the realities on both sides of the border,” he insisted.
Bissau recalls the experience of 2021
Representing the general staff of the Guinea-Bissau land army, Colonel Pansau Intchama placed the meeting within the framework of bilateral cooperation. This involves jointly planning the operations of the defense and security forces and examining the difficulties encountered along the border. He recalled that the two countries had already carried out joint patrols in 2021.
“These successful operations aimed to prevent the territories of the two countries from serving as a refuge for armed elements,” said Colonel Intchama. Dakar and Bissau now want to capitalize on this experience to establish more regular operational cooperation.
