Sapouy: Technicians and administrative authorities from the Ziro and Sissili provinces held a working session on Thursday, October 9, 2025, in Sapouy, focused on the state of the Yalle pastoral zone. The objective was to take stock of the current situation and adopt a new roadmap for its security and development.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the meeting was chaired by the High Commissioner of Ziro, Saiba Zorome, and included representatives from the General Directorate of Land, Training and Rural Organization (DGFOMR), presidents of the special delegations (PDS) of Bieha and Cassou, along with several regional and provincial technical services.
High Commissioner Saiba Zorome highlighted the significant reduction in the Yalle pastoral zone, which has decreased from 40,000 hectares in the 1980s to just 5,000 hectares today due to agricultural encroachment and illegal occupations. He emphasized the importance of preserving and restructuring this area to make livestock farming a key contributor to national development.
The Director General of Land, Adama Boro, stated that the meeting was part of ongoing consultations initiated in 2024. Following the Minister of State's instructions, efforts are underway to engage with local stakeholders to achieve the legal security and registration of the Yalle pastoral zone. The DGFOMR has already conducted several awareness and consultation activities in the provinces, and plans to collect socio-economic and geospatial data with local support are in place. Precautionary measures, such as the temporary suspension of land possession document issuance, have been announced pending diagnostic results.
Bibiane Kayalma, president of the Cassou special delegation, praised the participatory approach of the DGFOMR, which fosters stakeholder alignment. She highlighted the role of resource persons in preventing misinformation and noted that her commune faces numerous land conflicts related to double plot sales and herd damage.
Alfred Loti Zerbo, PDS of Bieha, emphasized the urgency of reconstructing and securing the now "almost invisible" Yalle pastoral zone. He believes this will resolve nearly 80% of farmer-herder conflicts. Local initiatives, including the creation of rest areas and construction of cattle tracks, are being implemented to reduce tensions.
At the conclusion of the discussions, participants agreed to update the roadmap for data collection and expedite the global diagnosis of the Yalle pastoral zone, a critical step towards its security, rehabilitation, and development for the benefit of rural populations.