Macau, China, July 4, 2025 (Lusa) - Cape Verde’s minister for internal affairs told Lusa on Friday that the country is negotiating with China to finance the expansion of the Safe City video surveillance system to three more cities.
“We are currently talking and discussing with China the possibility of financing a third phase, which will involve extending the project to other cities,” Paulo Rocha said in an interview.
The minister recalled that this “important project in the field of public security” has been implemented in the capital, Praia (Santiago Island), and in the cities of Mindelo (São Vicente Island), Sal Rei (Sal Island) and Santa Maria (Boavista Island).
The new phase aims to take the programme to the city of Porto Novo, on the island of Santo Antão, and to the cities of Assomada and Tarrafal, both on the island of Santiago, Rocha added during a visit to Macau.
After leaving the semi-autonomous Chinese region, the minister will travel to the capital, Beijing, where he will meet with Chinese manufacturers of public security equipment.
The third phase of Cidade Segura is part of an agreement signed in January, under which China pledged to support the archipelago with €26.3 million.
The agreement provides for the training of technicians to operate the video surveillance system and maintain the surveillance command centres.
At the end of April, several traders in the capital of Cabo Verde complained to Lusa about feeling insecure and experiencing assaults, and some had been threatened with guns.
But the minister said that “crime remains stable in Praia. It is mere speculation”.
“We had at least one or two individuals who had been committing crimes in commercial establishments, and the police arrested them; they are now in preventive detention,” said Rocha.
“The police have made many arrests, carried out many seizures, generated a lot of positive news, and demonstrated a lot of effectiveness in their action,” the official said.
On 27 June, the Cabo Verde National Police announced the arrest of 20 men in Praia on suspicion of drug trafficking, robbery, disorderly conduct and possession of weapons.
But the minister argued that “crime involving weapons remains stable, while seizures—particularly of ammunition—are rising, much of it coming from the United States and Europe”.
“With the investment we have made, particularly in the ports and in scanners for small parcels, we have increased our capacity to detect illegal imports of ammunition,” said Rocha.
On 5 May, the Attorney General of Cabo Verde, Luís Landim, announced the creation of a special team to combat urban crime in Praia and São Vicente.
Paulo Rocha explained that the aim “is to ensure that authorities can arrest the criminal quickly even when they do not catch him in the act, through a rapid investigation, with focused magistrates and the police supporting these teams”.
VQ/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
