East africa spy chiefs to meet

CHIEFS of intelligence services from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are to meet at Paraa Lodge in the Murchison Falls National Park, Masindi district, next week, reports Grace Matsiko. The meeting is to be chaired by Uganda, a security source said. The source told The New Vision that arms trafficking and the rising crime rate were among the topics to be discussed. "The detailed programme will be out later. But there will be presentations on general crime levels, illegal sale of arms and car robberies," the source said. He said Uganda's director generals for External Security Organisation (ESO), Maj. Gen. Frederick Oketcho, and for Internal Security Organisation (ISO), Brig. Ivan Koreta, are to attend. Oketcho, who is expected to chair the meeting, and Koreta were not available for a comment. Police Assistant Commissioner in- charge of administration, Steven Oonyu, and the Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence, Lt. Col. Noble Mayombo, said they were not aware of the meeting. But a security source said an advance team was already at Paraa to prepare for the meeting. In October 1998, defence chiefs from the three East African countries met in Kampala to discuss security in the region. The meeting recommended the establishment of a regional defence affairs unit at the East African Co-operation Secretariat in Arusha, Tanzania. A year before, armed forces of the three countries signed a memorandum of cooperation to provide joint training sessions, co-operation in case of disasters and access to any of the forces to airports in the region.