OCTOBER5 OCTOBER 2016 2016

IBM News -

Immigration and Border Management Technical Cooperation

National Police graduates at the IOM training course on border management, Sikasso, 2016

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Working with the Malian Building border control posts Training the Police and other Government and UN partners and installing migration IBM agencies in border on developing the National management IT systems management and travel Border Policy and IBM Strategy (MIDAS) in Gogui and Sona document examination

IBM in Mali

Welcome to the Newsletter of the IBM programme at the IOM Mission in Mali. IBM stands for Immigration and Border Management technical assistance that IOM has been providing globally, including to the Member States in the region. IOM works closely with the Malian Government on IBM matters. Since 2012 Mali, a conflict-affected state facing stabilization challenges, is engaged in an ongoing political and technical dialogue with the international community tackling the root causes of instability. This Newsletter provides a glimpse of recent IOM IBM activities and border management developments in Mali.

CONTACTS IBM Tel: +223 20 22 76 97 [email protected] 17, Route des Morillons, IOM Mission in Mali Fax:+223 20 22 76 98 CH-1211 Geneva 19, Magnambougou https://mali.iom.int/ Switzerland Badalabogou Est +41.22.717.9111 BPE 288, , Mali © 2016 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION OCTOBER 2016

5 NOVEMB Borders, Security and Development

In Mali, as elsewhere in the Sahel region, governance challenges and need for stronger institutional capacity to manage security threats are high on the policy agenda. Continuous IBM technical cooperation assistance is vital for ongoing stabilization efforts and enhancing the human security of the Malian population.

Effective border management is a powerful tool for combatting terrorism and trans-border crime, and enhancing national and regional security. Security is a pre-condition for sustainable development and ongoing stabilization efforts in the Sahel region. Development without security is impossible, security without development is only short-lived.

In providing IBM technical assistance, IOM pays particular attention to promoting good governance, respect to human rights and the rule of law, as well as the special IOM in Mali needs of vulnerable populations in the border areas. IOM has been present in Mali

since 1998, with offices in Bamako, Mopti, Timbuktu and Gao.

IOM Mali has over 100 staff and a large project portfolio, including community-led programming on stabilization and socio-economic reintegration in the North.

Implemented in close cooperation with the Malian Government and international partners, IOM’s initiatives focus on international migration and internal displacement assisting the most vulnerable.

IBM technical assistance has been another growing area of IOM programming in Mali.

Established in 1951, the IOM is a UN Migration Agency and the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. It is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and A Malian police officer in charge of immigration controls society. at the border post in , the border with BER 2015 OCTOBER 2016

for sensitivity, confidentiality and non-discrimination.

The joint training aims strengthening the security and good governance of the border between and Mali. The border is long, porous and difficult to control. Transnational threats, including terrorism, organized crime and illegal A family photo: new Malian police graduates at the IOM border management migration, remain and travel document examination training in Bamako, May 2016 ongoing concerns in the region.

Training the Malian Police in The Japanese-funded IOM project border management “Enhancing the collective capacity for managing borders and for protecting IOM trains Malian border officials to border communities between enhance their competencies and Mauritania and Mali” aims to improve professionalism. Training sessions are the security of vulnerable border areas delivered jointly to Malian and between the two countries by Mauritanian border police officers. So enhancing their border management far, ten-day workshops have taken capacity. It also seeks to facilitate place in Bamako, Sikasso and greater bilateral cooperation between in Mali, and Sélibaby and Ayoûn el- the two governments and wider Atroûs in Mauritania. Further training engagement of the local population sessions are planned in Autumn, living in border areas. tentatively in Timbuktu. The training provides the Malian and Mauritanian The training provides police officers border officials with skills to control with essential border control skills, borders more effectively, detect forged including travel document examination documents and protect victims of and interviewing. Trainees also learn trafficking, while respecting their need specialized skills needed to conduct interviews with victims of trafficking.

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The curriculum is in line with international norms on human rights protection. It ensures that human rights and need for protection for vulnerable groups are not compromised by robust measures to combat terrorism and trans-border crime.

Bringing together police officials from both sides of the border is a key aspect of this training. In addition to learning new skills and sharing experience, the participants build mutual trust and contacts that will last for years to come. For instance, the Malian participants at Sélibaby and Ayoûn el-Atroûs training courses were mainly from the . Working at checkpoints on the Mauritanian border, they benefit from working contacts and better communication with their Mauritanian colleagues just across the frontier.

Training and graduating together: Malian and Mauritanian police officials successfully completed the IOM professional training course in Ayoûn el-Atroûs, April 2016

Strengthening IBM Faso, Mali, Mauritania, briefed the participants cross-border Niger and Chad to about the results of a cooperation discuss challenges in regional project between five countries border management in “Enhancing Border the region and outline Security in Sahel” plans for closer funded by the In June this year, cooperation. Mali was Government of Japan. Malian officials represented by the The meeting agenda participated in the 3rd Deputy Director focused the Meeting of Directors- General of National management of General of the National Police and Deputy borders of the five Police and Border Director and Chief of countries and exploring Police in Border Control Division practical options of Ouagadougou, Burkina of the Border Police. enhanced cross-border Faso. The IOM event cooperation in the brought together senior region. officials from Burkina IOM Niger, the organisers of the event,

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United we stand: Malian and Mauritanian police trainers and IOM Mali staff making the Bamako training session a joint success, May 2016

Assessing Mali’s border management capacity

IOM Mission in Mali has been performing a comprehensive assessment of Mali’s

borde r management capacity. The objective of the assessment i s to produce a systematic picture of border management capabilities in Mali, identify gaps and deficiencies, and produce recommendations for future IBM capacity-building reforms and international assistance. The assessment in Mali takes place in the framework of a Japan-funded IOM project aimed at enhancing border management cooperation and information sharing between Mali and Mauritania

Integrated border management relies on inter-agency cooperation and involves a broad range of government institutions. The assessment has included working meetings and interviews with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Directorate of Borders, the Gendarmerie, National Police, Directorate of Border Police (DPF), Directorate-General for Civil Protection, the Customs, Special Airport Police An assessment visit to Bamako International Airport: discussing inter- Commissariat, Police agency cooperation with the Malian Border Police, Veterinary Service and School, Ministry of Phyto-sanitary Service, July 2016 Malians Abroad, OCTOBER 2016

National Guard, National Health Service, Phyto-sanitary Service and National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).

To ensure effective border management, having competent institutions at the central level is not enough. IBM government agencies require institutional presence and operational capacity in Mali’s regions and at the border. The assessment so far included visits to border control posts and regional police offices in Sikasso, Zegua, Kalé, Haremakono, Kourémalé, Kayes, , Diboli, , Gogui and Bamako International Airport. Further assessment missions are being planned to Mali’s borders in the North. The IBM assessments are conducted by IOM experts in close partnership with the Malian DPF. Two senior DPF officers participate in each assessment trip to the border, showing a strong sense of institutional commitment and contributing significantly to the quality and results of the assessment efforts.

The assessment report and recommendation are being developed in close coordination with the SSR Section of MINUSMA and EU-CAP Sahel Mali, a European Union civilian mission that provides training and strategic advice to the Malian security sector.

IBM assessment meetings in the regions: discussing border management issues at Kourémalé border post and the Police Commissariat in Kayes

Developing Mali’s Border significant changes and updates to Policy make the policy relevant to today’s needs. While IBM involves a broad IOM has been working closely with the range of Malian institutions, the Malian Government and MINUSMA on National Border Directorate (DNF) updating and developing the National under the Ministry of Territorial Border Policy. While Mali adopted a Administration has taken the lead in Border Policy years ago, new conducting extensive policy review challenges that emerged in security consultations in the regions and governance after 2012 call for drafting the new policy document.

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Timbuktu, 114 participants in Gao and 94 participants in Kidal (with a meeting venue in Gao). All workshops followed a similar structure alternating plenary sessions and group discussions, which allowed for active engagement and interactive participation of all the stakeholders involved.

The final Border Policy draft is to be presented by the DNF to all stakeholders in Autumn this year. Once the new Border Policy is finalized and approved by the Workshops took place in all eight Government, the next step will be regions between 2014 and 2016. developing an Integrated Border Thanks to the financial and technical Management Strategy to support of the SSR Section of operationalize the implementation of MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping the policy, and ensure security and mission in Mali, IOM contributed to development benefits to the Malian organizing three regional workshops in state and its society. the Northern regions: Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal.

The three workshops took place in February and March 2016. They brought together senior representatives from both national and regional levels, and offered a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss issues of common interest related to border security and management. The workshops were well attended: 144 participants in

Diboli border post

In September, an IBM assessment mission took place in Diboli, a border town on the frontier with Senegal. It is a location of strategic importance for Mali’s foreign trade: 70% of foreign goods arrive in Mali from Senegal via Diboli. While most of people and goods cross the border by road, there is also a goods train from Senegal that has to complete border clearance formalities at Diboli.

The Diboli police border post dates back to the days of the Bamako- Express train. In those days, the border police would focus on controlling passengers on the train, while the cross-border traffic by road was much smaller. The passenger train OCTOBER 2016

to Dakar was discontinued some years ago and only a goods train continues going across the border. Now that there is no passenger train to Senegal, the road traffic of persons and goods has been growing.

The physical border between the two countries is the : one can see signs ‘End of Diboli’ and ‘Frontiere Mali-Senegal’ on the bridge. The main bridge is the only way for cars, lorries, pedestrians and motorbikes to cross the border. The second bridge in Diboli is Police Commissioner Samba Sidibe, DPF, has been a exclusively for trains. The nearest major contributor to the IOM IBM assessment town across the border in Senegal is .

With plans of building a high-speed train between Bamako and Dakar in the future, the importance of Diboli is likely to increase. In particular, it will require strengthened capacity of border control agencies to manage increased cross- border flows of people and goods.

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Kalé border post The working conditions at the Kalé post are challenging: very basic An IOM IBM assessment visit to the facilities, lack of reliable electricity border post of Kalé took place in and office equipment. All records are August. Kalé is a small remote post managed manually. Despite of on the Cote d’Ivoire border Spartan conditions, the police staff surrounded by a lush agricultural posted in Kalé put effort and try area. The Malian National Police and making most of it. Gendarmerie officers stationed there work in basic field conditions. The The IBM assessments are conducted Customs office and checkpoint are by IOM experts in close partnership also present but almost 10 km away with the Malian Directorate of Border from the Kalé police post. The road Police (DPF). All assessment from Sikasso to Kalé is quite difficult, missions have been conducted by especially after the rain. IOM together with Police Commissioner Samba Sidibe and Tiecoura Bagayoko, Inspecteur Classe Exceptionnelle, from the DPF.

IOM builds and equips a border post in crime in the Sahel Gogui region. It enables the Malian police to collect, Gogui is a Malian border control post in the Kayes process, store and region on the Mauritanian frontier. A new border post analyse information building was erected by an IOM project about travellers, “Strengthening Joint Border Management between including their bio-data Mali and Mauritania” in Spring 2016. and biometrics. In particular, MIDAS allows border officials The IOM also provided the Gogui post with a border to access national and management information system (Migration international alert lists Information and Data Analysis System, MIDAS). The to check traveler’s data system is an important tool in facilitating legal and identify high-risk migration and combatting terrorism and trans-border OCTOBER 2016

individuals. Future plans include connecting MIDAS to the Interpol’s I-24/7 Global Communication System and its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.

The project was funded by the IOM Development Fund (IDF), a facility that provides resources to innovative projects in IOM developing Member States that contribute to humane and orderly migration, regional security and sustainable development.

The new computerized border post was officially opened in April 2016. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Directorate-General of the National Police, the Border Police Directorate and the local authorities and community leaders of the Gogui area. Distinguished participants included Deputy Prefect of Gogui, police and gendarmerie from Nioro du Sahel and the Mauritanian Border Police of Gogui Zemal, a town corresponding to Gogui on the Mauritanian side.

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Installation and testing of the IOM MIDAS border management system at the Gogui border post

Kourémalé border post

In August, an assessment mission took place in Kourémalé, the main border control post on the Mali- frontier. In close partnership with the Malian National Police, IOM

staff concluded meetings, in terviews and site visits with border control agencies in present in Kourémalé area.

The current police post was opened in 2006. Kourémalé is a busy place with 600-700 migrants crossing the Discussing border management challenges with Malian and Guinean IBM institutions in Kourémalé

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border daily. It has strong presence of Malian IBM institutions, including the National Police, Gendarmerie, the Customs, Environmental Service and Health Service. Kourémalé village is divided into two parts, on the Malian and Guinean sides, separated by a border area which is effectively a large and busy market. Predominant economic activities in the border area are gold mining, trade and agriculture.

The National Police has good cooperation arrangements with their counterparts across the border. During the assessment mission, IOM and police partners visited the police and customs offices and control posts in Guinea.

Senior Malian and Mauritanian officials join Mauritania and efforts to build HBM capacity representatives from the permanent From 20 to 23 September 2016, IOM Mali and IOM secretariat of the G5 Mauritania facilitated a bilateral workshop in Sahel. Nouakchott on Humanitarian Border Management (HBM). The workshop focused on numerous HBM is a term challenges in coordination, logistics and protection conceptualized by IOM that governments could face in case of a potential and denotes border humanitarian migration crisis. This important event, management organized under the aegis of the Japan-funded operations before, project “Enhancing the collective capacity for during and after managing border and or protecting border humanitarian crises communities between Mauritania and Mali,” brought which trigger mass together senior officials from law enforcement bodies migration. It seeks to and institutions with migration functions of Mali, improve prepared ness

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for sudden changes in cross-border movements in order to protect migrants and guarantee their human rights while maintaining national sovereignty and security.

The workshop, following the recommendations of a previous high-level HBM regional event organized by IOM in Abidjan in May 2016 had two main objectives: discussing challenges in managing borders and migration flows during humanitarian crisis and planning a bilateral simulation exercise.

Both objectives were achieved through a hands-on method, wherein officials were able to build knowledge and engage in productive discussions. The draft of a two-day simulation scenario at the Malian-Mauritanian border was endorsed by all the participants and the exercise will take place in December 2016.

Heremakono border post National Police, Gendarmerie and other government agencies involved in In August, an IOM IBM assessment border controls, and some of their mission took place in Heremakono, a counterparts on the Burkina Faso border crossing post in Ségou region side. on the frontier with Burkina Faso. Opened in 1998, Heremakono is a The Heremakono post includes all key busy post with 800-900 people IBM institutions. Staffed by the 1st and crossing the border every day. IOM 2nd Sikasso Commissariats, the staff had working meetings with Mali’s National Police performs border OCTOBER 2016

control checks of individuals, including inspecting their travel documents. The Gendarmerie focus on systematic inspection of vehicles and relevant documents. The Customs have a big office and control post about 5 km along the road on the Malian side. They have effective barriers on the main road and every vehicle must pass through a Customs control post. The usual Customs functions include collecting duties and taxes on legitimate goods and combatting illicit traffic of prohibited items. Environmental Service (“Controle Forestier”) are also present in Heremakono. They are charged with wildlife protection and combating illicit traffic in endangered species. Health Service focuses on Ebola prevention and inspecting Yellow Fever vaccination certificates. Veterinary Service have an office next to the police post closer to the frontier. They enforce quarantine regulations for animals and goods of animal origin crossing the border. Finally, the Phyto- sanitary Service enforces import regulations of plants and goods of agricultural origin at the border.

Glimpses of the border control post in Heremakono, August 2016

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An IBM assessment working visit to the Police Regional Directorate in Sikasso, August 2016

IOM building the erected in October and opening of the new Sona border post the roof and wiring are Sona border police to be finished in post is planned in The construction of November. Office December 2016. The another land border furniture, IT equipment, post is being built in the control post continues the MIDAS system - framework of a in Sona, Sikasso and training to the Japanese-funded IOM region, on the border Sona police - are to be project “Coordinated with Burkina Faso. The provided shortly after Border Management in walls have been the completion of the Niger, Mali, Mauritania building. The official and Burkina Faso.”

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A big day: laying the foundation stone of the new Sona border post building. A ceremony attended by the Malian National Police, IOM Mali staff, community leaders and villagers of the Yorosso area. June, 2016

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A high-level meeting between Directors-General of Malian and Mauritanian emergency services

On 30 September 2016, IOM Mali and IOM Mauritania organized a high-level meeting in Bamako between the Directors-General of Civil Protection of Mali (Col. Seydou Doumbia) and Mauritania (Col. Ahmed Ould Eleyouta). This important meeting took place in the framework of the Japan-funded project “Enhancing the collective capacity for managing border and or protecting border communities between Mauritania and Mali.” The meeting provided a platform for discussing bilateral cooperation and enhancing joint efforts in the field of migration and border management during crises.

Both officials recognized the importance of IOM’s technical and financial support in realizing joint initiatives such as trainings on first aid and simulation exercises of potential humanitarian crisis. This meeting was beneficial in shaping a new lens that civil protection’s officials can use to view priorities in border areas.

Human rights provisions, availability of health services at the border, temporary shelters, and rapid data collection were also discussed for the upcoming simulation of a humanitarian crisis which will be held in Gogui The heads of the Malian and Mauritanian emergency services tackling border area in December 2016. common challenges at the IOM-facilitated meeting in Bamako

In Mali and Mauritania, the Directorate-General of Civil Protection is the main institution responsible for the protection of people, property and the environment in case of accidents and disasters. It organizes and coordinates response actions, including the development and implementation of contingency plans.

IOM IS COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT HUMANE AND ORDERLY MIGRATION BENEFITS MIGRANTS AND SOCIETY. AS AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION, IOM ACTS WITH ITS PARTNERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO: ASSIST IN MEETING THE OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES OF MIGRATION, ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF MIGRATION ISSUES, ENCOURAGE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MIGRATION, AND WORK TOWARDS EFFECTIVE RESPECT OF THE HUMAN DIGNITY AND WELL- BEING OF MIGRANTS.

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