How Interpol helped Ivory Coast secure AFCON amidst regional terror challenges

For any country, hosting the Africa Cup of Nations is a monumental task, especially at this moment when the region is facing a myriad of security threats amongst them terrorism.

High-profile sporting events attract significant global attention, making them great targets for terrorist groups seeking to spread fear.

This therefore calls for ensuring the safety of fans, players, and support staff, a process that according to Interpol involves complex security operations that must necessarily go beyond national borders.

It is for this reason that Ivory Coast chose to collaborate with the neighbouring countries as well as the International Police (Interpol) for a successful hosting of the biennial Africa Cup of Nations, the region's biggest event that attracts millions of fans from across the globe and even more viewers globally.

Both Interpol and Ivory Coast have shared a sneak peek into the preparations that went into planning and securing the event that brought 24 national soccer teams together to compete in the cities of Abidjan, Bouaké, Korhogo, San Pedro, and the capital Yamoussoukro.

The tournament which ended on Sunday, saw the hosts fight back to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final and complete the most remarkable of major tournament turnarounds by claiming their third continental title.

Security planning

The security planning began over a year ago with the CAF Safety and Security Division conducting several site inspections and training workshops across the five host cities to ensure that they are up to the high standards required by CAF to host a safe and secure tournament.

Without revealing the actual figures and amount spent in securing the five cities where stadiums, airports, hotels, training sites, ticket outlets, and other key operational areas were used to facilitate the tournament.

The security planning began over a year ago with the CAF Safety and Security Division conducting several site inspections and training workshops across five host cities. (Photo: Interpol)

"CAF has provided expert support services and so on our part, we have developed this concept and embarked on a series of training in supporting the organising committee by training all venue safety and security officers across the host cities, hotel security coordinators, training site security coordinators, escort commanders of all teams and match officials," CAF's Head of Safety and Security, Dr Christian Emeruwa said.

At the request of member states, Interpol provides specialised teams to assist national law enforcement in response to an incident or crisis resulting from a crime or disaster or in major events.

In Ivory Coast, Interpol deployed a special intelligence support team that helped detect dangerous individuals at border checkpoints and assisted the local police in their local operations.

Noting that Ivory Coast is located near the Sahel region where extremist terrorist groups often clash, one of Interpol's key roles was working to prevent spillover into Ivory Coast during the tournament.

Equipping police

Part of this was done by equipping the local police across the country with the latest skills and equipment to perform biometric checks against the records of suspected terrorists ahead of the January 13 to February 11 tournament.

General Youssouf Kouyate, Ivory Coast's Director of National Police (centre) rallies frontline officers for their event security mission. (Photo: Interpol)

"Interpol's comprehensive support to Ivory Coast for this event ensures that the joy of football is not overshadowed by security threats," Cyril Gout, Interpol's Acting Executive Director of Police Services, said.

Ivory Coast's Director of National Police, General Youssouf Kouyate said that the checks also included cross-referencing passenger manifests for all incoming flights against Interpol's criminal databases.

"The objective is to identify any suspected criminals in-flight and enable Ivorian authorities to apprehend individuals listed in Interpol's databases upon their arrival," he said.

As an Interpol Member state, Ivory Coast hosts a National Central Bureau (NCB), which is part of its national police force, the bureau ensured that sea, air, and land borders were connected to Interpol systems ahead of the Africa Cup so that police could spot and stop criminals trying to enter the country.

"With the increasing reliance on digital infrastructure for such events, Interpol has also provided cybersecurity support, ensuring the safety of communication and operational networks," Gout added.

Kenya is set to host the AFCON tournament in 2027 alongside its neighbours Uganda and Tanzania.

Plans to make the tournament successful have already begun with planned rehabilitation of the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, Kasarani Annex, Nyayo Stadium, and Kipchoge Keino in Eldoret.

Kenya is expected as its norm to work with Interpol in securing the games through amongst others intelligence sharing, expert counsel, training, operational support, and border management.