ARUSHA, Tanzania, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC), a regional intergovernmental organization of eight member states, on Friday, called for strengthened cross-border cooperation to counter terrorism and transnational organized crime in the region to facilitate the free movement of goods, persons, labor, services and capital.
A statement by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha said the call was made by the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, at the opening session of a two-day regional conference on Immigration and Border Governance in the Burundian capital Bujumbura.
The statement said the conference aimed at exploring the ever-changing migration dynamics and landscape, focusing on how better and integrated migration management can support development issues within the region.
Malueth said one of the key areas of the EAC integration process was to promote and strengthen peace and security in the region and good neighborliness, adding terrorism and transnational organized crime took many forms, including organized violence, financial crimes, narcotics and human trafficking, migrant smuggling, piracy, and cybercrime.
"It is critical for the EAC member states to work together and to ensure that the people gain the fruits of integration such as improved livelihoods," he said.
The EAC member states are Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia. ■
