- Defense Institute of International Legal Studies
- Guinea Host DIILS Regional Counterterrorism and...
Guinea Host DIILS Regional Counterterrorism and Border Security Seminar March 2008
A predominantly Muslim country, Guinea sits at the frontier between sub-Saharan and Sahelian Africa. To the north, the region has seen the onset of radicalization of armed struggles, specifically in Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal. To the south, the region has suffered from destabilizing internal conflicts, notably Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire. Guinea’s coastline, like much of the region, has become a transit point for illicit commerce, specifically drugs and arms. In the spring of 2007 the Defense Attaché’s Office proposed a DIILS regional seminar on border security and combating terrorism. Security Assistance Offices in Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire agreed to the need and organized representatives for the conference. The seminar was held 31 March to 4 April 2008 in Conakry, Guinea, consisted of 30 participants and was facilitated by BG Richard O'Meara, US Army Reserve (ret.), MAJ David Hodgkinson, US Army Reserve, Mr. Richard Burke, Department of Homeland Security, and LT Derek M. Mills, JAGC, USN.