5 OCTOBER 2016 OCTOBER 2016
IBM News - Mali Immigration and Border Management Technical Cooperation
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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 Sahel 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, Bamako, Mali
© 2016 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION
Building border control posts and installing migration management IT systems (MIDAS) in Gogui and Sona
Working with the Malian Government and UN partners on developing the National Border Policy and IBM Strategy
Training the Police and other IBM agencies in border management and travel document examination
National Police graduates at the IOM training course on border management, Sikasso, 2016
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
needs of vulnerable populations in the border areas.
IOM in Mali
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
society.
A Malian police officer in charge of immigration controls
at the border post in Diboli, the border with Senegal
OCTOBER 2016 BER 2015
Training the Malian Police in
border management
IOM trains Malian border officials to
enhance their competencies and
professionalism. Training sessions are
delivered jointly to Malian and
Mauritanian border police officers. So
far, ten-day workshops have taken
place in Bamako, Sikasso and Kayes
in Mali, and Sélibaby and Ayoûn el-
Atroûs in Mauritania. Further training
sessions are planned in Autumn,
tentatively in Timbuktu. The training
provides the Malian and Mauritanian
border officials with skills to control
borders more effectively, detect forged
documents and protect victims of
trafficking, while respecting their need
for sensitivity,
confidentiality and
non-discrimination.
The joint training
aims strengthening
the security and
good governance of
the border between
Mauritania and
Mali. The border is
long, porous and
difficult to control.
Transnational
threats, including
terrorism, organized
crime and illegal
migration, remain
ongoing concerns
in the region.
The Japanese-funded IOM project
“Enhancing the collective capacity for
managing borders and for protecting
border communities between
Mauritania and Mali” aims to improve
the security of vulnerable border areas
between the two countries by
enhancing their border management
capacity. It also seeks to facilitate
greater bilateral cooperation between
the two governments and wider
engagement of the local population
living in border areas.
The training provides police officers
with essential border control skills,
including travel document examination
and interviewing. Trainees also learn
specialized skills needed to conduct
interviews with victims of trafficking.
A family photo: new Malian police graduates at the IOM border management
and travel document examination training in Bamako, May 2016
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OCTOBER 2016
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 Kayes region. Working at checkpoints on the Mauritanian border, they
benefit from working contacts and better communication with their Mauritanian
colleagues just across the frontier.
Strengthening IBM
cross-border
cooperation
between five
countries
In June this year,
Malian officials
participated in the 3rd
Meeting of Directors-
General of the National
Police and Border
Police in
Ouagadougou, Burkina
Faso. The IOM event
brought together senior
officials from Burkina
Faso, Mali, Mauritania,
Niger and Chad to
discuss challenges in
border management in
the region and outline
plans for closer
cooperation. Mali was
represented by the
Deputy Director
General of National
Police and Deputy
Director and Chief of
Border Control Division
of the Border Police.
IOM Niger, the
organisers of the event,
briefed the participants
about the results of a
regional project
“Enhancing Border
Security in Sahel”
funded by the
Government of Japan.
The meeting agenda
focused the
management of
borders of the five
countries and exploring
practical options of
enhanced cross-border
cooperation in the
region.
Training and graduating together: Malian and Mauritanian police officials successfully completed
the IOM professional training course in Ayoûn el-Atroûs, April 2016
OCTOBER 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
Commissariat, Police
School, Ministry of
Malians Abroad,
United we stand: Malian and Mauritanian police trainers and IOM Mali staff making the
Bamako training session a joint success, May 2016
An assessment visit to Bamako International Airport: discussing inter-
agency cooperation with the Malian Border Police, Veterinary Service and
Phyto-sanitary Service, July 2016
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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, Aourou, Diboli, Nioro du Sahel, 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.
Developing Mali’s Border
Policy
IOM has been working closely with the
Malian Government and MINUSMA on
updating and developing the National
Border Policy. While Mali adopted a
Border Policy years ago, new
challenges that emerged in security
governance after 2012 call for
significant changes and updates to
make the policy relevant to today’s
needs. While IBM involves a broad
range of Malian institutions, the
National Border Directorate (DNF)
under the Ministry of Territorial
Administration has taken the lead in
conducting extensive policy review
consultations in the regions and
drafting the new policy document.
IBM assessment meetings in the regions: discussing border management issues at Kourémalé border
post and the Police Commissariat in Kayes
OCTOBER 2016
Workshops took place in all eight
regions between 2014 and 2016.
Thanks to the financial and technical
support of the SSR Section of
MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping
mission in Mali, IOM contributed to
organizing three regional workshops in
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
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
Government, the next step will be
developing an Integrated Border
Management Strategy to
operationalize the implementation of
the policy, and ensure security and
development benefits to the Malian
state and its society.
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-Dakar 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
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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 Senegal river:
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
exclusively for trains. The nearest
town across the border in Senegal
is Kidira.
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.
Police Commissioner Samba Sidibe, DPF, has been a
major contributor to the IOM IBM assessment
OCTOBER 2016
Kalé border post
An IOM IBM assessment visit to the
border post of Kalé took place in
August. Kalé is a small remote post
on the Cote d’Ivoire border
surrounded by a lush agricultural
area. The Malian National Police and
Gendarmerie officers stationed there
work in basic field conditions. The
Customs office and checkpoint are
also present but almost 10 km away
from the Kalé police post. The road
from Sikasso to Kalé is quite difficult,
especially after the rain.
The working conditions at the Kalé
post are challenging: very basic
facilities, lack of reliable electricity
and office equipment. All records are
managed manually. Despite of
Spartan conditions, the police staff
posted in Kalé put effort and try
making most of it.
The IBM assessments are conducted
by IOM experts in close partnership
with the Malian Directorate of Border
Police (DPF). All assessment
missions have been conducted by
IOM together with Police
Commissioner Samba Sidibe and
Tiecoura Bagayoko, Inspecteur Classe Exceptionnelle, from the DPF.
IOM builds and equips a border post in
Gogui
Gogui is a Malian border control post in the Kayes
region on the Mauritanian frontier. A new border post
building was erected by an IOM project
“Strengthening Joint Border Management between
Mali and Mauritania” in Spring 2016.
The IOM also provided the Gogui post with a border
management information system (Migration
Information and Data Analysis System, MIDAS). The
system is an important tool in facilitating legal
migration and combatting terrorism and trans-border
crime in the Sahel
region. It enables the
Malian police to collect,
process, store and
analyse information
about travellers,
including their bio-data
and biometrics. In
particular, MIDAS
allows border officials
to access national and
international alert lists
to check traveler’s data
and identify high-risk
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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.
OCTOBER 2016
Kourémalé border post
In August, an assessment mission
took place in Kourémalé, the main
border control post on the Mali-
Guinea 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
Installation and testing of the IOM MIDAS border management system at the Gogui border post
Discussing border management challenges with Malian
and Guinean IBM institutions in Kourémalé
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OCTOBER 2016
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
efforts to build HBM capacity
From 20 to 23 September 2016, IOM Mali and IOM
Mauritania facilitated a bilateral workshop in
Nouakchott on Humanitarian Border Management
(HBM). The workshop focused on numerous
challenges in coordination, logistics and protection
that governments could face in case of a potential
humanitarian migration crisis. This important event,
organized under the aegis of the Japan-funded
project “Enhancing the collective capacity for
managing border and or protecting border
communities between Mauritania and Mali,” brought
together senior officials from law enforcement bodies
and institutions with migration functions of Mali,
Mauritania and
representatives from
the permanent
secretariat of the G5
Sahel.
HBM is a term
conceptualized by IOM
and denotes border
management
operations before,
during and after
humanitarian crises
which trigger mass
migration. It seeks to
improve prepared ness
OCTOBER 2016
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
In August, an IOM IBM assessment
mission took place in Heremakono, a
border crossing post in Ségou region
on the frontier with Burkina Faso.
Opened in 1998, Heremakono is a
busy post with 800-900 people
crossing the border every day. IOM
staff had working meetings with Mali’s
National Police, Gendarmerie and
other government agencies involved in
border controls, and some of their
counterparts on the Burkina Faso
side.
The Heremakono post includes all key
IBM institutions. Staffed by the 1st and
2nd Sikasso Commissariats, the
National Police performs border
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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
OCTOBER 2016
IOM building the
Sona border post
The construction of
another land border
control post continues
in Sona, Sikasso
region, on the border
with Burkina Faso. The
walls have been
erected in October and
the roof and wiring are
to be finished in
November. Office
furniture, IT equipment,
the MIDAS system -
and training to the
Sona police - are to be
provided shortly after
the completion of the
building. The official
opening of the new
Sona border police
post is planned in
December 2016. The
post is being built in the
framework of a
Japanese-funded IOM
project “Coordinated
Border Management in
Niger, Mali, Mauritania
and Burkina Faso.”
.
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
An IBM assessment working visit to the Police Regional Directorate in Sikasso, August 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
border area in December 2016.
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.
Our donors:
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.
The heads of the Malian and Mauritanian emergency services tackling
common challenges at the IOM-facilitated meeting in Bamako
