Background

Burkina Faso is a country whose level of human development remains one of the weakest and most fragile Saharan Africa, despite continued progress observed over the past fifteen years. The GNP per capita in 2002 was $ 268 U.S., demonstrating a level of cash income still very low: 46.4% of the population lived below the absolute poverty line in 2003 against 45.3% in 1998 and 44.5% in 1994; this, despite a growth rate of real GDP of around 5.5% on average for the period 1995-2002. Despite the efforts of both national and local governments to promote good governance in a difficult context of poverty, they are facing challenges link to the increase of urban violence since the mid-90s and traditional measures dominated by Police intervention cannot continue to be used to contain the development of crime and delinquency. Thus, the prospects for a marked improvement in security from the traditional repressive methods of the police seem unlikely. In this circumstance, the restoration of the credibility of the security forces arises in terms of necessity to enhance security of persons and goods and finding alternatives to traditional management of public safety. At the level of the city of Ouagadougou, the degradation of the security situation is more important. With a population estimated at 1,475,223 inhabitants in 2006, 52% women, the city of Ouagadougou is geographically located near the center of the country in the province of Kadiogo. Regardless of several social efforts of the City Council to promote access of the vast majority citizens to basic urban services and support vulnerable groups with the aim to reduce delinquent behavior, public insecurity is becoming a major problem that undermines the social capital and negatively affects the local economy. The rapid appraisal of crime and insecurity in the city of Ouagadougou has shown an increase of delinquent acts (City council of Ouagadougou.2007. Report on Rapil Appraisal of Urban Insecurity). Analysis of data from the apparent crime, there is a recent trend of rising crime in Ouagadougou. The average growth rate of crime reported is estimated at 9.73% between 2000 and 2006. The main offences are theft in public places, traffic accidents, crimes against property and crimes against individuals. The popular justice (mob justice), offenses against morality and the abandonment of the marital home are becoming increasingly worrisome in Ouagadougou.

Objectives

To strengthen participatory capacities of the Government of Burkina-Faso as well as the City Council of Ouagadougou in planning, implementing and evaluating urban crime prevention initiatives in the city of Ouagadougou.

Target Group

The main beneficiaries are local and national authorities as well as the inhabitants of the city who will benefit from the impact of new practices in urban crime prevention