Bangui – The International Organization for Migration supports the Central African Republic’s efforts towards integrated border management. During the period from 13 to 21 February 2023, it equipped Bangui International Airport with a system for collecting and analyzing migration information and data called “MIDAS”, and also trained agents from the national Immigration and Police Department in how to use this tool.

In a bid to ensure that users are fully trained and let the Central African Government take full responsibility, IOM invited 25 officers from the Immigration and Police Department to its premises from 13 to 19 February to show them how to use “MIDAS”. Among them, 10 senior police officers were expected to act as trainers and 15 other officers were trained on the basics of how to use this migration information and data analysis system.

“We are very pleased to have such a powerful system at our disposal, which will make our work much easier. In addition, we received training that meets our expectations and will enable us to make this tool our own,” said the Police Chief Superintendent.

As the participants have acquired the necessary skills to ensure the proper functioning of MIDAS, IOM, represented by its Chief of Mission in the Central African Republic, Mr Bakary Doumbia, officially handed over the equipment to the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security and Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation on 21 February at Bangui International Airport.

The equipment received, consisting of 9 control units and 2 data storage servers, will facilitate and modernize the collection and management of travellers’ information. “Bangui International Airport now has a reliable tool for detecting fraudulent documents, like other countries in the world, with the possibility of interconnectivity with Interpol,” said Colonel Follot, Director General of Civil Aviation.

This initiative supported within the framework of the project “Strengthening Border Management Mechanisms in the Central African Republic” (Renforcement des mécanismes de gestion des frontières en République Centrafricaine), funded by the IOM Development Fund, was an opportunity for the IOM Chief of Mission to recall IOM’s commitment to support efforts made by the Central African Republic for integrated border governance as well as humane and orderly migration management. “We will use all means at our disposal to support the Central African Republic in its efforts to improve migration data management performance and we count on the support of donors in this process,” he said.

For more information, please contact Aissata KA, Project Officer, Tel.: +236 74 40 66 81, aka2@iom.int; Patrick MBESSE Tel.: +23672053382, lmbesse@iom.int and Abdoulaye Mamadou SOUKOUNA, Regional Media Relations Officer, asoukouna@iom.int.