Kampala, 31 August 2014 – IGAD Security Sector Program (ISSP), in collaboration with the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF), held a three days regional workshop on “Advanced Techniques for Interrogation, Investigation and Prosecution as Good Practices for Effective Counter Terrorism in the Greater Horn of Africa (HoA) Region” from 26-28 August 2014 in Kampala, Uganda. The meeting was officially opened by the Honorable justice Moses Mkiibi, the head of the International Crimes division of the High Court of Uganda and was co-presided by Commander Abebe Muluneh, the Head of ISSP. Dr. Simon Nyambura, the Head of Counter Terrorism Pillar at ISSP, chaired the meeting.
This workshop is the second, in a series of training workshops that will be jointly by ISSP and GCTF for the next two years under the theme: “Building Capacity and Promoting the Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector in the Greater Horn of Africa Region.”
The workshop was designed to provide an overview of various types of advanced interrogation, investigative and prosecution techniques, as well as provide specific knowledge that security and criminal justice officers can use in their day-to-day activities aimed at countering terrorism. This training workshop focused on how to most efficiently and effectively conduct a non-accusatory interrogation and investigative interview, and how to assess the credibility of the information that was developed during the interview.
A total of 40 participants were drawn from all IGAD Member States plus Tanzania. Officials from Institutions such as the National Intelligence Services, law enforcement agencies, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Immigration, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs were in attendance. Regional and International Experts from the Republic of South Sudan, Uganda, IGAD Secretariat, Sahan Research, and made presentations as well as shared their experiences with the participants to enrich the overall objective of the workshop.
Discussions at the workshop included, among others:
• A strategic approach to planning and undertaking an investigation, interviews and case building in relation to terrorism cases
• The investigative mindset: The profile of an effective Investigator
• Effective investigative tools to assist in uncovering the truth
• Techniques to deal with resistance
• Verbal and nonverbal methods to test the truth and credibility of witnesses and suspects
• Statement content analysis – how to assess the credibility of the information provided by the subject during the interview, investigation, prosecution and trial
The workshop was adjourned by handing out certificate of participation preceded by a closing remark from the Head of ISSP, Commander Abebe, by expressing his thanks to the participants, the experts, the staff, and the Government of Uganda. (END)
