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Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

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deployment of 1,000 combat troops to the northern regi<strong>on</strong> of the country bordering crisis-hit<br />

Mali, to guard against kidnappings.<br />

While the Burkinabe government’s counterterrorism capabilities remained limited, the c<strong>on</strong>tinued<br />

delivery of U.S. training and equipment, as well as Burkina Faso’s participati<strong>on</strong> in regi<strong>on</strong>al<br />

counterterrorism c<strong>on</strong>ferences and training opportunities, were important benchmarks for <strong>2012</strong>.<br />

Legislati<strong>on</strong>, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Burkinabe prosecutors have not<br />

developed expertise in terrorism investigati<strong>on</strong>s due to the lack of substantive terrorism cases in<br />

the country. Prosecutors c<strong>on</strong>tinued to be included in both bilateral and regi<strong>on</strong>al counterterrorism<br />

training opportunities to enhance their capacity and develop a rapport with the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Police<br />

and Nati<strong>on</strong>al Gendarmerie. Despite financial c<strong>on</strong>straints, the Burkinabe government increased<br />

armed patrols in the capital and al<strong>on</strong>g the border in resp<strong>on</strong>se to the crisis in Mali.<br />

Burkina Faso received substantial training support for counterterrorism, intelligence, and border<br />

security issues through the Internati<strong>on</strong>al Law Enforcement Academy and the Antiterrorism<br />

Assistance (ATA) Program. More than 160 Burkinabe law enforcement officials attended and<br />

graduated from ATA courses in <strong>2012</strong>. The primary beneficiaries of ATA training remained the<br />

Nati<strong>on</strong>al Police and Nati<strong>on</strong>al Gendarmerie. Customs, the Municipal Police of Ouagadougou, and<br />

criminal prosecutors also participated. The Burkinabe government, with the assistance of ATA<br />

training, developed and refined resp<strong>on</strong>se plans for a kidnapping for ransom (KFR) operati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

In October, Burkina Faso agreed to implement and support the installati<strong>on</strong> of the Terrorist<br />

Interdicti<strong>on</strong> Program/Pers<strong>on</strong>al Identificati<strong>on</strong> Secure Comparis<strong>on</strong> and Evaluati<strong>on</strong> System<br />

(TIP/PISCES) at the Internati<strong>on</strong>al Airport of Ouagadougou.<br />

Countering Terrorist Finance: Burkina Faso is a member of the Inter-Governmental Acti<strong>on</strong><br />

Group against M<strong>on</strong>ey Laundering in West Africa, a Financial Acti<strong>on</strong> Task Force-style regi<strong>on</strong>al<br />

body. The Burkinabe Financial Intelligence Unit, CENTIF, collects and processes financial<br />

informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> m<strong>on</strong>ey laundering and terrorist financing. Since its 2008 incepti<strong>on</strong>, CENTIF has<br />

participated in an extensive training program <strong>on</strong> combating m<strong>on</strong>ey laundering and terrorist<br />

financing. In <strong>2012</strong>, CENTIF completed a research trip to M<strong>on</strong>aco and participated in training in<br />

St. Petersburg, Russia. The Burkinabe government c<strong>on</strong>tinued to provide financial instituti<strong>on</strong>s<br />

with the names of UN-listed terrorist individuals and entities. There were no known terrorist<br />

financing prosecuti<strong>on</strong>s in <strong>2012</strong>. For further informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> m<strong>on</strong>ey laundering and financial<br />

crimes, we refer you to the 2013 Internati<strong>on</strong>al Narcotics C<strong>on</strong>trol Strategy Report (INCSR),<br />

Volume 2, M<strong>on</strong>ey Laundering and Financial Crimes:<br />

http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.<br />

Regi<strong>on</strong>al and Internati<strong>on</strong>al Cooperati<strong>on</strong>: Burkina Faso’s c<strong>on</strong>tinued participati<strong>on</strong> in the Trans-<br />

Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership provided border training, two-way radios, and vehicles to<br />

Burkinabe gendarme units in the Mali-Niger-Burkina Faso tri-border area. Burkina Faso<br />

participated in the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s Sahel Working Group. The Burkinabe<br />

government remained resp<strong>on</strong>sive to U.S. government requests for military and security<br />

assistance. It participated in regi<strong>on</strong>al and internati<strong>on</strong>al counterterrorism c<strong>on</strong>ferences and training<br />

exercises, including with regard to KFR.<br />

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