INL's Mali Programs

* On March 26th the United States announced it was suspending foreign assistance to the government of Mali pending resolution of the situation on the ground. On April 10th the United States formally terminated foreign assistance to the government of Mali, consistent with section 7008 of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for 2012.

Funding:

• FY 2010 - $7,400,000 (INCLE)

INCLE: International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement Funds

Program Goals:

• Faced with an ever-increasing presence and frequency of terrorist activity within the trans-Sahel and Maghreb region, INL is cooperating with Malian law enforcement to build their capacity to combat the threat posed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and other extremist and criminal groups.
  
• INL objectives in Mali are to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies, by focusing on academy and law enforcement development best practices; to combat organized crime such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and other financial crimes; and to enhance operational effectiveness of Malian police in peacekeeping missions.

Program Components/Accomplishments:

• Improving Law Enforcement Training: INL supports Mali’s law enforcement sector by providing advice to improve training for both the national police and the gendarmerie, including:

-- Recommending improvements to the academies’ curricula and instruction at all levels;

-- Supporting limited facility improvements; and

-- Assisting Malian police develop training plans, establish a training records system for police personnel, and establish new recruitment, selection, hiring, and training standards for police.

• Building Forensic Capacity: INL, FBI, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime are collaborating with the Government of Mali to enhance their capability to collect, analyze, classify, and store fingerprint evidence and to develop an Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
  
• Supporting Peacekeepers: INL is building Mali's capacity to deploy well-trained and well-equipped police to peacekeeping missions. Mali is deploying its first police peacekeepers to the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti. INL will continue to provide pre-deployment training, training of trainers, equipment, and other support to Mali in partnership with Germany.
  
• Countering Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing: INL supports the Inter Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA – French acronym) of which Mali is a member by making technical and financial contributions to support training and other projects in Mali and throughout the region. Training topics include creating regulatory frameworks, prosecuting financial crimes, and investigating cross-border currency and trade-based money laundering.