Written by: Badr Ahmed

South Sudan Police today received a state-of-the-art digital forensics laboratory and advanced testing equipment, provided as a grant from the People’s Republic of China, in a high-level ceremony that included the Deputy Minister of Interior, the Chinese Ambassador and officials responsible for police and security agency leaders.

In his remarks at the ceremony, the Inspector General of the South Sudan Police Force, General Saeed Shawel, expressed his deep gratitude to the Chinese people and government for their generous support. Shawel emphasized the strategic importance of this grant, stating:

”These devices represent a qualitative leap and are very necessary in examining and combating cybercrimes, and in monitoring cases related to the Internet and social media platforms such as (Facebook), in addition to examining electronic fingerprints and DNA.”.

South Sudan police receive the latest electronic fingerprint and DNA testing technology

The Inspector General added that these technologies will completely eliminate South Sudan's need to send criminal samples to other countries for examination, as all examinations will be conducted locally within the country, thus speeding up the investigation process, uncovering mysterious crimes, and securing the community.

He also revealed that the Chinese government has taken on the task of training 15 local officers, who will be responsible for transferring this knowledge and training the rest of their colleagues, urging the officers to maintain these advanced devices.

For his part, the Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, Ma Qiang, affirmed that the handover of this laboratory is one of the tangible fruits of the «Partnership for Common Security Initiative,» which is included among the ten partner actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and an embodiment of the «Global Security Initiative.».

The Chinese ambassador explained that the project is not limited to providing equipment, but also includes a comprehensive training program to build a local team capable of operating the laboratory completely independently.

In a related context, Ambassador Chiang linked this technical support to the country’s political stability, noting that this laboratory will represent a solid technical pillar to secure the atmosphere surrounding the general elections scheduled for December of this year, to ensure that they proceed smoothly and fairly.