Burkina Faso: The first 2024 session of the Border Council in Ouagadougou

The first regular session of the Border Council for 2024 convened on March 21st in Ouagadougou, led by Prime Minister Joachimson Kyelem, who also chairs the council. Hosted by the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Security (MATDS), the meeting aimed to review border management efforts undertaken in 2023.

During the session, Prime Minister Kyelem, represented by Minister Emile Zerbo, emphasized the broader objective of these efforts: fostering sustainable socio-economic and cultural development in border regions within a framework of peace and security.

Neglected historically, these border areas have played a role in the current security challenges.

The session provided a platform to assess progress in border demarcation, cross-border cooperation, and to identify areas needing improvement.

The strategy outlined key priorities such as precise border delineation, bolstering security in border zones, enhancing state presence, promoting cross-border collaboration, sustainable resource management, and infrastructural development alongside capacity building for local stakeholders.

Before commencing the session, Prime Minister Kyelem expressed gratitude to all stakeholders and technical partners for their contributions to border management efforts over the past eight years.

 He urged active participation in implementing the National Border Management Strategy to transform border regions into peaceful and thriving areas.

Burkina Faso initiated institutional reforms a decade ago, establishing the National Border Commission in 2013 and adopting the National Border Management Strategy in 2015 (spanning 2016-2025), aimed at addressing developmental disparities across the nation’s regions.

Cedric KABORE