Luanda: Uge Provincial Governor Jos© Carvalho da Rocha has reaffirmed the reinforcement of patrols along the border with the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to ensure greater security in the region. Jos© Carvalho da Rocha, who concluded a working visit to Massau Municipality this week, stressed the urgent need to strengthen surveillance operations in the border area.
According to Angola Press News Agency, after travelling by boat along the Cuango River, whose crossing provides access to the DRC, the governor said the aim was to ensure greater security in all respects. Uge Province shares an extensive border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north and east, encompassing several municipalities and crossing points with the neighbouring country.
Asked about preventive measures against diseases affecting the DRC, given the proximity of the border, the provincial governor said the authorities were monitoring the situation and working on prevention. 'First, we need to know what is happening on the other side and then work on prevention on our side. That is what we are doing. These patrols will also be important,' he explained.
The governor called on personnel deployed along the border to continue carrying out their mission and assured them of the Provincial Government's commitment to improving and strengthening the resources required for patrol operations. 'I want to encourage them and say that we will do everything possible to ensure that the resources available here are strengthened and improved, in order to improve patrol conditions,' he stressed.
Jos© Carvalho da Rocha also cited the principle that 'the homeland commands its sons, it does not plead with them', to encourage personnel to continue fulfilling their mission. On the ground, Inspector Narciso Alfredo Paco reported that the situation along the border was calm and under control. However, he identified illegal immigration as the most frequent offence.
According to the official, patrols are also carried out by river using an available patrol boat. He explained that the river patrol boat had been provided recently and was already contributing to border inspection and control operations. Narciso Alfredo Paco nevertheless stressed the need for additional resources to improve surveillance operations. He added that citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo account for the majority of foreigners involved in recorded offences, particularly those related to illegal immigration and fishing, often driven by the search for means of subsistence.
