Fighting organized crime and terrorism: in Burkina Faso the advanced training course financed by Farnesina and coordinated by Sant'Anna School, as part of the training and assistance project intended for the local judiciary

Cooperation between Italy and Burkina Faso is consolidated, thanks to the support of the Sant'Anna School. After the advanced training activities organized in 2022, our country has promoted a advanced training course, scheduled between Tuesday, July 9 and Thursday, July 11, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, directed to 20 Burkinabé magistrates and judges, on the subject of the fight against terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking and the protection of victims and witnesses. The course, coordinated by Andrea de Guttry, full professor of International Law at the Sant'Anna School, was implemented thanks to the financial contribution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the collaboration of the Burkina Faso Ministry of Justice.

This project aims to strengthen the capacities of Chadian magistrates and prosecutors to address the new challenges on internal and transnational security generated by criminal and terrorist networks. The lectures aim to consolidate the knowledge of local magistrates related to the national and international regulatory framework on terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking, including through the analysis of case studies and the latest judicial practices, a key tool to strengthen the criminal justice response in the fight against transnational organized crime. The course features Italian and African experts, including Federico Belli, a judge at the Court of Asti.

The significance of this initiative is evidenced by the speech of Italy's ambassador to Burkina Faso, Gabriele Di Muzio, who presided over the opening ceremony, stressing that the area of magistrate training is a priority for Italy. "The course," commented Ambassador Gabriele Di Muzio, "is part of an Italian project of assistance to Burkina Faso aimed at improving the criminal justice response to terrorism, in the broader context of implementing a strategy against terrorism and organized crime according to a comprehensive approach".

The organization of this new advanced training course for the benefit of Burkinabé judicial actors is part of the project "Strengthening the judicial systems of African countries through training (2023-24)," in which the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna has been engaged for several years in training and assistance activities in the Sahel region. For the success of this activity, the support provided by the Farnesina and the Italian Embassy in Ouagadougou has always proved decisive.

"The Sant'Anna School is proud to contribute to this important technical assistance project , which aims to strengthen the skills of Burkinabe magistrates in the fight against human trafficking and international terrorism," comments professor Andrea de Guttry, Director of the Course. "We are convinced that through training and strengthening judicial institutions it is possible to promote the rule of law in a key area for the stability of the African continent and Europe.

Cover photo: Sagnan Tondjoa, Gaia Fiorini, Federico Belli, Marialucia Benaglia, Bado Idrissa N., Romba Yaceya.