Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre has acknowledged the progress made between St. Lucia and the French countries even as he said challenges remain in certain areas.
Pierre, addressing the two-day ninth Franco-St. Lucia Joint Security Commission meeting that ends here later on Wednesday, said that since the last meeting, while there had been progress in various areas of cooperation, there are persistent obstacles.
‘Since our last meeting, Franco-Saint Lucia cooperation has advanced in several areas of practical cooperation, training and border control. However, challenges remain in communications, deportations and disaster response.’
Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre (second from left) attending the ninth Franco-Saint Lucia Joint Security Commission meeting in St. Lucia.
Pierre made reference to the death of K-9 Tyson, the police dog that had been instrumental in anti-narcotics missions across the island.
In July, police said they had launched a criminal investigation into the suspicious death of the highly trained police dog whose work in narcotics and weapons recovery played a critical role in national security operations.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mashama Sealy, said then that a post-mortem examination had been conducted, and investigators are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including examination of operational environments, forensic testing, interviews and a comprehensive review of recent K-9 deployments.
Media reports said that the dog, which had been donated by the French government had ingested a poisonous substance.
French Ambassador to St. Lucia, Francis Etienne, said his government had given St. Lucia law enforcement authorities a dog 10 years ago and that it had met a similar fate as Tyson.
He said he was now calling for increased protection for the only other canine within the police service and that this incident should be taken as a warning signal.
‘The demise of Tyson has weakened St. Lucia’s interdiction capacity despite the fact that another K-9, Voyou, donated earlier this year, is providing some valuable support,’ Pierre told the meeting.
‘We are heartened by the possibility of our French friends donating another K-9 or two to us and we await its arrival while the police continue to investigate fully the cause of Tyson’s death,’ he said, as he appealed for stronger resolve against organised criminal networks. ‘Let us strengthen our resolve to use all legal methods to rid our countries of the criminal elements that threaten our security and peace.’
The meeting here has brought together senior officials from St. Lucia and France’s overseas territories for discussions on border control and security cooperation.
Martinique Prefect, Etienne Desplanques, Attorney General of the Court of Appeal of Martinique, Patrice Camberou are among those attending the meeting that has so far focused on security and trafficking, as well as operational cooperation including technical equipment, and mutual support initiatives.
Discussions involved the review of radar surveillance systems, border protection measures, and challenges in deportation and immigration procedures. The authorities are also expected to discuss improving coordination between the borders, particularly in preventing ‘undesirable St. Lucians’ re-entry to Martinique and facilitating the handover of deportees wanted by St. Lucian police.
Attorney General Leslie Mondesir said the meeting builds on the last Commission meeting held in Martinique in December 2022.
‘At that meeting a strategic action plan was developed, including training, joint operational actions, provision of technical equipment, judicial cooperation, immigration and the formation of a restricted monitoring committee. This meeting here today further expands that prior discussion,’ he said.