TOP STORY: HSI Office of International Affairs expands its reach

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Affairs (OIA) expanded its footprint on the continent of Africa with the opening offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Dakar, Senegal. OIA now has 75 offices in 48 countries around the globe.

HSI Nairobi opened in January 2013, and is located on the Horn of Africa, which is currently facing threats from terrorist groups. This is impacting many countries in eastern Africa, and poses a challenge to nations on every continent. HSI Nairobi currently covers Brazzaville, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.

OIA also opened the HSI Dakar office in early March, and is located on the western edge of Africa. The office oversees Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

"HSI's expansion into sub-Saharan Africa is critical to our shared mission to combat transnational crime," said Acting Assistant Director of OIA Peter Vincent. "No country can do it alone, it can only be accomplished through a series of shared strategies, strong partnerships, international cooperation and a wide range of investigative tools."