Soyo - The Chief of Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), Aviation General Altino Carlos dos Santos, recommended on Thursday in the city of Soyo, Zaire Province, a crackdown on cross-border crime.
The high-ranking officer made the recommendation at the end of a three-day visit to the facilities of the Northern Naval Region Base (MGA) of the Angolan Navy, after having visited the border detachments of the municipality of Pedra do Feitiço and the municipality of Nóqui.
Among the transnational crimes that will continue to receive greater attention from the Navy in this part of the country are fuel smuggling, illegal immigration and fishing, and piracy.
According to Vice Admiral Rolando Matias dos Santos Ramos, commander of the MGA's Northern Naval Region, his command is awaiting the reinforcement of naval operational resources to fully carry out this mission.
"We control a very large area that includes 100 islands, 70 of which are inhabited, along the course of the Zaire River, including 66 river channels, so we have done everything within the means available to fight transnational crime and other illegal activities," the commander said.
The vice admiral added that in 2024, the Navy seized more than 90 semi-industrial fishing vessels and artisanal boats in the region for violating regulations and operating in areas close to oil platforms.
Zaire shares a 190-kilometer river border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The delegation of the Chief of Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces included senior officers from the various branches of the armed forces on this visit to the Northern Sea Region Command of the Angolan Navy. PMV/JL/AMP
