The
Regiment of Presidential Security (,
RSP) was the
secret service organisation responsible for VIP security to the
President of
Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in
West Africa. It was autonomous from the
Army. Until 31 October 2014, the President was
Blaise Compaoré, a military officer who came to power in a 1987
coup d'état. The elite unit was well known for its frequent involvement in the
politics of Burkina Faso, acting as the iron fist of President Compaoré in his domination of the country. They were said to be widely feared by many people in the country, which in 2012 – two years prior to the end of Compaoré's government – was described by the
Democracy Index as an "authoritarian regime".