Caption: Elena Rigacci, Chief of Section at the UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch, and H.E. Haakon Gram-Johannessen, Ambassador of Norway to Mozambique. © UNODC
Pemba (Mozambique), 16 April 2024 – In April 2024, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) inaugurated its antennae office in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado, where it has been closely supporting national partners combat organized crime and terrorism in the past years.
Speaking at the inauguration event of UNODC’s Pemba office, Elena Rigacci Hay, Chief of Section at the UNODC Terrorism Prevention Branch, explained that “by establishing our presence in Pemba, we are positioning ourselves closer to the heart of the challenges.”
“This strategic expansion allows for a more nuanced understanding of local dynamics and strengthens our ability to deliver tailored programs and initiatives. It enhances our operational flexibility and responsiveness and capacity to identify and address specific vulnerabilities and threats,” she underscored.
The province of Cabo Delgado, located in the northern region of Mozambique, has been greatly affected by terrorist attacks since 2018, leading to mass displacement and instability and insecurity conditions. In response to some of these challenges, UNODC increased its assistance to the Mozambican government in the area of preventing and countering terrorism.
The event was also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements thus far. “Since 2002, UNODC has carried out over 100 trainings in Mozambique, benefiting 800 people from the criminal justice system,” remarked the Chief Judge of the Province of Cabo Delgado, António Matimula.
"A lot of work has been done in such a short time period. And it's no coincidence,” explaining that the UNODC project officers, working on the basis of humanism, competence and professionalism, have become like “family,” concluded Matimula.
Key partners of UNODC attended the inauguration event, including Norway, whose longstanding support to UNODC in Mozambique made this strategic expansion possible. H.E. Haakon Gram-Johannessen, Ambassador of Norway to Mozambique, welcome UNODC’s expansion to Pemba, underscoring that to address the “daunting challenges” stemming from terrorism and organized crime, "long-term, concerted efforts” were “the only viable approach.”
Beyond terrorism, UNODC’s presence in Pemba will also allow the Office to upscale its support to national stakeholders in other key areas, in particular drug trafficking, but also other areas such as wildlife crime, trafficking in persons, drug use and gender-based violence. Through this office, Antonio De Vivo, Head of UNODC in Mozambique, explained that UNODC seeks to “establish stronger and more direct lines of communication and cooperation with local authorities and communities.” “We hope our national partners will see our new office as their office, our home as their own,” he remarked.
Sustainable development hinges on the foundation of peace. UNODC’s support to national institutions in combating organized crime and terrorism aims to lay the foundation for a future in Mozambique where peace and justice are not just aspirations, but realities, deterring future terrorist acts, facilitating the safe return of internally displaced persons, and shielding communities from the detrimental impacts of organized crime, fostering a safer and more prosperous environment for all.
UNODC in Mozambique thanks the generous financial support of Norway towards the establishment of its field office in Pemba.
