Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 - Madagascar

International terrorism was a concern in Madagascar because of the island nation's inadequately monitored 3,000 mile coastline. Malagasy police, military, intelligence, and security forces have not had much training in counterterrorism and maritime surveillance. Despite these limitations, there was little evidence to indicate any terrorist threat.

Despite limited resources, government officials were willing to cooperate with the United States and the international community. Madagascar volunteered to be chosen by the UN as a pilot country for counterterrorism efforts, and received a UN evaluation mission in October. The UN team will draft a report of recommendations for the Government of Madagascar on how to better implement UN Resolution 1373, likely focusing on improved coordination between the intelligence services, police, and the gendarmerie.

To combat terrorist threats, the government has created the Central Counterterrorism Service within the Ministry of Interior to work with INTERPOL and to provide information within the framework of regional and international cooperation. It also created a special counterterrorism branch within the Central Intelligence Service. In June, the Financial Intelligence Unit (SAMIFIN) was officially launched, and was charged with combating money laundering, including terrorist finance.

The Malagasy government took steps to create a coast guard to improve maritime security and border control. The government improved customs methods and equipment and adopted a biometric passport. It installed an information system to track arrivals and departures, x-ray machines, UV lamps, and magnetometers at the international airports. Judges, prosecutors, and judicial police were trained on international counterterrorism cooperation in January and parliament drafted a bill encompassing the universal counterterrorism instruments, including the requirements of UN Security Council Resolution 1373.

Despite this progress, political unrest and limited resources constrained Madagascar's ability to confront a potential terrorist threat. The Malagasy authorities still lacked the capacity to effectively monitor suspect organizations, control suspicious financial transactions, identify terrorist suspects, and control the movement of people and goods across its borders.