Burkina-Faso: Transitional President Ibrahim Traoré honoured with a new visit from ECOWAS mediator.

For the second time in two months, the former President of Niger, mediator of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for Burkina, Mahamadou Issoufou met on Saturday 26 November in Ouagadougou with the President of the transition, Captain Ibrahim Traore on the conduct and missions of the transition, reported the Presidency of the Republic. This visit is part of the ordinary Summit of Heads of State of the sub-regional organisation, scheduled for Sunday 4 December 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria.

In addition to the framework of the summit, the mediator and facilitator, during his meeting with the Head of State of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, was especially interested in the missions of the transition.

On this point, “the reconquest of the territory under terrorist threat, the resolution of the humanitarian crisis, the return to democratic order and also the mobilisation of resources to enable the transition to carry out its missions” were the main topics of discussion.

With a view to setting up a committee to monitor and evaluate the transition, as decided with the previous government, Mahamadou Issoufou returned to the subject with President Ibrahim Traoré.

This committee should include members of the Burkinabe government, experts from ECOWAS and the African Union (AU).

Also bearing a message from the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, in relation to the African Union, ECOWAS and the G5 Sahel for the President of Faso, the ECOWAS mediator said he had had exchanges “in a very frank atmosphere”.

This message concerns the strategic, security and development assessment of the countries of the “geopolitical Sahel”, which includes all countries under threat from terrorism and organised crime.

Given that “all these countries face the same security, institutional, climatic, demographic, humanitarian, economic and social development challenges”, Mahamadou Issoufou was above all able to have a “perfect identity of view on all the issues addressed”.

“It is therefore normal, as a facilitator and mediator, that I come to assess the situation of the transition in the country, in order to report to the Heads of State,” said Mahamadou Issoufou.

During the international conference on the Accra initiative in the fight against terrorism on 22 November, the Head of the transitional government, Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela, expressed his country’s indignation towards the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in the face of the “inaction” of the international community.

A week later, the mediator and facilitator of the sub-regional organisation, Mahamadou Issoufou, made a new visit to Burkina in order to “evaluate the situation of the transition in the country…”.

Proof that the appeal of the Head of Government of Burkina Faso has been heard by the international community, which is therefore preparing to respond on Sunday 4 December 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria, to security concerns that no longer concern Burkina Faso alone, but also all the regions of the Sahel.

The G5 Sahel must therefore adopt a common and effective position in order to curb the scourge of terrorism.

However, it is appropriate to salute the members of the transitional government, in particular the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela and the valiant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivia Rouamba, who are sparing no effort to ensure the rapid return of territorial integrity.

For it is often said that no development is possible without peace.