Bank Of Africa Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country located in the middle of West Africa's "hump." It is geographically in the Sahel--the agricultural region between the Sahara Desert and the coastal rain forests. Most of central Burkina Faso lies on a savanna plateau, 200 meters-300 meters (650 ft.-1,000 ft.) above sea level, with fields, brush, and scattered trees. The largest river is the Mouhoun (Black Volta), which is partially navigable by small craft. Burkina Faso has West Africa's largest elephant population. Game preserves also are home to lions, hippos, monkeys, warthogs, and antelope. Infrastructure and tourism are, however, not well developed. Annual average rainfall varies from about 100 centimeters (40 in.) in the south to less than 25 centimeters (10 in.) in the north and northeast, where hot desert winds accentuate the dryness of the region. The cooler season, November to February, is pleasantly warm and dry (but dusty), with cool evenings. March-June can be very hot. In July-Septembe ... [Read More]

Burkina Faso

Typically these scams begin with unsolicited communication (usually by e-mail) from an unknown individual who describes a situation that promises quick financial gain, often through the transfer of a large sum of money or valuables out of the country.  A series of "advance fees" (for legal documents, certain taxes, etc.) is requested to conclude the transaction, but in fact the final payoff does not exist.  The purpose of the scam is simply to collect the advance fees.  A common variation involves individuals claiming to be refugees or other victims of various western African conflicts (notably Sierra Leone) who contact U.S. citizens to request their help in transferring large sums of money out of Burkina Faso. Another typical ploy has persons claiming to be related to present or former political lea ... [Read More]

Country Commercial Guide

The traditional banking sector is comprised of sevencommercial banks and three specialized credit institutions called "EtablissementsFinanciers": la Banque Internationale pour le Commerce, Industrie etl’Agriculture du Burkina Faso (BICIA-B), la Banque Internationale du Burkina (BIB),la Société Générale de Banque au Burkina (SGBB), la Banque Commerciale du Burkina(Arab-Libyan, BCB), la Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole (CNCA), ECOBANK, and the Bankof Africa-Burkina (BOA-B). ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Algeria is primarily a transit country for men, women, and children trafficked from Central and Western Africa en route to Europe for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Once in Algeria, some women find themselves exploited in prostitution, usually by a family member, when their financial situation becomes dire. African and Algerian human smugglers use deception and fraud to entice would-be victims from their countries by falsely promising victims easy passage through Algeria to destinations in Europe. They then abandon their victims after they cross over Algeria’s vast and porous border in the south. In addition to instances of trafficking for prostitution cited above, desperate economic circumstances force some men to seek work as laborers in construction and other menial work. There are reportedly an estimated 200,000 illegal immigrants in Algeria, some of whom are believed to be trafficking ... [Read More]

Burkina Faso 2000 Post Report

Burkina Faso puts great emphasis on art and culture.Ouagadougou’s biennial crafts and film festivals attract artists from all of Africa.Burkinabe masks, metal sculpture, woodcarving, textiles, pottery, music, dancing, andtheater are all well-known in West Africa. Modern interpretations of traditional designs,works in nontraditional media, traveling exhibits, and works of individual African andWestern artists can be seen at Centre Culturel Georges Melies, the French Cultural Center.The Moro Naba ceremony, which is theater and tradition centered on the current Emperor ofthe Mossi, is enacted every Friday in Ouagadougou. Traditional music and danceperformances are frequent and will be featured in any village ceremony or public event.The international arts and crafts festival, SIAO is held in Ouagadougou in October ofeven-numbered years. Francophone Africa’s major film festival, FESPACO, held inFebruary of odd-numbered years, represents film works fr ... [Read More]

USIS, Economic Perspectives, August 1999 - Promoting Trade and Investment in Africa, George B.N. Ayittey

Over the past decade and a half, Western governments and multilateral financial institutions have launched various initiatives and proposals to address Africa's economic stagnation. The World Bank's structural adjustment programs (SAPs) are the most notable. They require African governments to adopt transparent management practices, dismantle their state interventionist behemoths, liberalize markets, devalue or float currencies, sell off unprofitable state-owned enterprises, and remove a plethora of controls on prices, interest rates, and rents. In return, the World Bank will provide loans to ease balance-of-payment, debt-servicing, and budgetary difficulties. In 1994 the World Bank evaluated the performance of 29 of 37 African countries with SAPs and concluded that, although "no African country has achieved a sound macroeconomic policy stance," six had performed well: The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. A year later, only Burkina Faso and Ghana were ... [Read More]

USIS, Economic Perspectives, August 1999 - Promoting Trade and Investment in Africa, African Organizations

SADC was created in 1992 from the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), founded in 1980. South Africa joined 1994. Headquarters in Gaborone, BotswanaMembers: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Web site: http://mbendi.co.za/orsadc.htm ...

The CFA franc zone comprises 12 West and Central African countries that formerly were French overseas territories, one former Portuguese territory, and one former Spanish possession, all of which share the CFA franc as their common currency. Established in 1948, the CFA franc is linked to the French Treasury, an arrangement that has offered monetary stability and a convertible currency linked to the French franc. CFA stands for Communaute financiere africaine -- African Financial Community. ... [Read More]

IV. Country Narratives: Africa

South Africa lacks an anti-trafficking statute and has no comprehensive law enforcement programs targeting trafficking. Some government agencies have developed their own anti-trafficking programs. Traffickers are prosecuted under a variety of statutes, including the Child Care Act, the Sexual Offences Act, the Prevention of Organized Crime Act, and the general criminal law. Approximately 10 investigations and four prosecutions involving trafficking are underway. Government officials are moving expeditiously to address the trafficking problem on several fronts. The South African Law Commission is preparing comprehensive draft legislation on trafficking for consideration in 2004. The National Directorate for Public Prosecutions formed an inter-agency task force that drafted a national action plan on trafficking in persons. Police officials formed an anti-trafficking team at the Johannesburg airport. Police resources to address trafficking are limited in South Africa, which has am ... [Read More]

Trade and Economics - US Department of State

Paul V. Applegarth, chief executive officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation(© AP/WWP) Cape Verde Praised for Good Governance by Millennium Challenge CorporationAfrican country uses good governance as "strategic asset," says MCC's ApplegarthT ... [Read More]

DOS/International Information Programs: Public Diplomacy Calendar

11 Currently Underway Mar. 25-Sept. 25 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan 11 July 6 - 8 G-8 Summit, Gleneagles, Scotland 11111 This Week 11 July 8 - 13 ... [Read More]