Day: October 20, 2023

Pô A delegation from the European Union (EU) visited, Thursday October 19, 2023, localities of the Pô-Nazinon-Sissili ecological complex (PONASI) and interacted with those involved in the implementation of PONASI projects 2 and Resilient Communities in order to immerse themselves in the actions carried out by these projects that it financially supports.

The European Union (EU) was, on Thursday, following in the footsteps of the achievements of the PONASI 2 and Resilient Communities projects, the implementation of which benefits from its financial support to the tune of 4,415,000 euros, or approximately 3 billion CFA francs.

The delegation, led by the Head of EU Cooperation in Burkina Faso, Diego Escalona, visited the achievements in the area of intervention of the said projects carried out by a consortium of NGOs, including the Guardian Angels of Nature (AGN) . These are the PONASI protected areas, an ecological complex shared between the Centre-South, Centre-East and Centre-West regions, which brings together the Pô national park (PNKT – Kaboré Tambi National Park), the Nazinga and the Sissili classified forest.

The factory for processing cassava into by-products such as attiéké, tapioca and gari, under construction in the village of Tiakané (Nahouri province), was one of the sites visited by the delegation. This is a unit whose start-up is planned, in principle, for December 2023, and which will create 80 direct jobs and produce 2 tons of attiéké, or 4 tons of cassava per day, before reaching its full planned production capacity of 10 tons of attiéké, or 20 tons of cassava per day, explained the executive director of the NGO AGN, Benjamin Bassono.

According to Mr. Bassono, the idea behind the construction of the factory is to provide alternative income following aid from partners, to continue the activities of securing protected areas, to create direct and indirect jobs for host communities, strengthen the income of cassava producers locally and nationally, and make cassava-derived products available to consumers in sufficient quantity and quality.

In addition to visiting the implementation sites, the European Union delegation interacted with stakeholders in the implementation of the PONASI 2 and Resilient Communities projects. The meeting brought together administrative authorities, representatives of the defense and security forces, representatives of the associative structures involved, beneficiaries and representatives of the structures responsible for implementing the two projects.

Concerning the PONASI 2 project, the Executive Director of AGN confided that it reinforces the achievements of the PONASI 1 project which has come to an end and which made it possible to reduce the vulnerability of the complex, to support the improvement of its natural capital and to increase the resilience of local communities. He cited, as an example of the achievements of PONASI 2 in progress, the reinforcement of rolling means and equipment of the security operations center, human resource training, security patrols and support for production. vegetable like cassava. In summary, for the first semester of implementation of the PONASI 2 project, we note an overall physical achievement rate of 47% with a budgetary consumption rate of 39%, said Benjamin Bassono.

As for the Resilient Communities project, he indicated that it enabled the implementation of activities enabling the strengthening of social cohesion and social organization, the development of income-generating activities and the establishment of social safety nets.

For the head of European Union Cooperation in Burkina Faso, the management of the PONASI 2 and Resilient Communities projects gives reasons for satisfaction. “We are very satisfied with what we saw. Despite a complicated situation in the PONASI complex, there are significant activities being carried out to protect the area, but also and importantly, in support of local populations,” declared Diego Escalona.

Continuing, he suggested that the European Union remains committed to continuing its support for the implementation of the two projects and, at their end, to discussing “opportunities or financing needs that there could be for continue to support this region.”

Officially launched in April 2023, the “PONASI 2” and “Resilient Communities” projects cover a period of 24 months and 35 months respectively. With the PONASI 1 project, a total of 8 million euros, or approximately 5 billion 300 million CFA francs, is being invested by the European Union to secure the PONASI complex and strengthen the resilience of communities. local residents.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Kongoussi, The Association for Peace and Solidarity (APS) has launched a hygiene and sanitation project which will relieve internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host populations in the communes of Kongoussi and Bourzanga on October 17, 2023 in Kongoussi, under the chairmanship of the High Commissioner of the Bam province, Adama Jean Yves Béré. The launching ceremony was also attended by the national coordinator of the APS, Kevin Ouédraogo, and the project manager, Vanessa Kaboré.

The project launched in Kongoussi is called “integrated humanitarian assistance project for people affected by the security and food crisis in the communes of Kongoussi, Bourzanga (north-central region)”.

It has a cost of 500,000 US dollars (300 million CFA) and will make it possible to carry out and rehabilitate boreholes for the internally displaced populations and the populations of the host communities of the two beneficiary communes of the project, which are Bourzanga and Kongoussi , we have a period of 12 months.

According to the national coordinator of the APS, Kevin Ouédraogo, his organization chose to intervene in the communes of Bourzanga and Kongoussi because the need is there.

And for him, the extension of the project to the host populations aims to satisfy all levels.

“Last year, we only targeted internally displaced people, but this year, we wanted to correct that by taking into account all populations in our intervention area,” he said. According to Kevin Ouédraogo, the project will focus on WASH, hygiene, sanitation, and economic support for women.

For the project manager at the APS, Vanessa Kaboré, the project is structured in two parts.

The first part concerns water, hygiene and sanitation. It will improve beneficiaries’ access to hydraulic works and sanitation infrastructure.

“We will drill 2 boreholes and rehabilitate 3. We will also build 25 latrines and rehabilitate 150 others. The distribution of kits (hygiene, sanitation and WASH) to 200 couples of malnourished children is also planned. At the level of the second component, which is dedicated to combating gender-based violence (GBV), forum theaters and awareness spaces will be used in the two municipalities to raise awareness among women and young girls,” she explained.

To better succeed in its mission in Bourzanga, which is still inaccessible by land, the project plans to use the air route in partnership with a company.

The president of the special Kongoussi delegation, Abel Dayamba, thanked the APS for having chosen his commune. According to his explanations, the city of Kongoussi has a real need for hygiene and sanitation infrastructure.

“The special Kongoussi delegation is ready to support the APS in the implementation of this project, which came to relieve us because we really needed it,” said Abel Dayamba.

As for the High Commissioner of the province, Adama Jean Yves Béré, he urged the various partners of the project to work in synergy of action for its proper execution for the benefit of the populations.

As a reminder, the APS is carrying out this project with the support of the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa (FHRAOC).

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Tougan, The High Commissioner of the Sourou province, Salif Traoré presented, during an accountability tour, on Monday October 16, 2023, to the customary and religious leaders of Tougan, the results of the actions undertaken and collected their concerns with a view to promoting social cohesion in the context of insecurity.

The provincial authorities want more collaboration and support from traditional and religious leaders so that the area regains its former security and peace.

This is why, the High Commissioner of the Sourou province, Salif Traoré, accompanied by the Secretary General, Julien Zanzé, provincial service directors and officials in charge of security, carried out this Monday, October 16, 2023 a tour of accountability in the city of Tougan.

From the palace of customary notables in the indigenous district of the city, to the headquarters of the Federation of Evangelical Churches and Missions, including the imam’s residence and the parish presbytery, the delegation invited these customary and religious leaders to promote actions promoting social cohesion and the population’s drive for resilience.

The High Commissioner recalled that since January 2023, the security situation has deteriorated in Sourou due to the blockade imposed on Tougan by terrorists.

He indicated that the city has received more than 56 thousand internally displaced persons and added that the province has been the target of terrorist attacks several times, but thanks to the determination of the Defense and Security Forces supported by the Volunteers for Defense of the homeland and the blessings and prayers of the leaders, all attempts have failed.

Salif Traoré spoke of some of the efforts undertaken and the measures that will be taken by the services to reduce the suffering of the population in the areas of health, education as well as the supply and availability of basic necessities.

Traditional and religious leaders welcomed the initiative and renewed their commitment to working to promote social cohesion and peace.

However, they raised some concerns related, among other things, to the release of roads and the availability of pharmaceutical products.

They also suggested the search for other partners with a view to a consistent and sustainable supply.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouahigouya, The President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, hopes that Burkina Faso will be within 10 years, an Eldorado in the heart of West Africa which will attract many of people around the world.

“In ten years I would like my country to be an Eldorado. Burkina is the heart of West Africa. The heart must be in good health so that the other members are in good health (also).

So, what our young people often go looking for elsewhere, I hope that other young people will come and look for that in Burkina in ten years.

(I hope) that we are in peace, in security, that the Burkinabè are free, that the Burkinabè eat their daughter; that we are very well developed and that it is a tourist place, attractive for all of West Africa and everywhere in the world,” declared Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in a short video broadcast Friday afternoon by the presidency of Faso, on his Facebook page.

The reaction of the Head of State is taken from an interview given in Ouagadougou, to state television, “Russia 24”, on October 10, 2023, specifies the presidency of Faso.

As a reminder, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who took power on September 30, 2022, promised to fight to the death to free Burkina Faso from terrorists who have been attacking it for eight years.

The acquisition of a large batch of military equipment including air assets, the reorganization of the fighting forces, the diversification of partnerships and the establishment of taxes to support the war effort, have enabled great progress in the fight. against criminals.

Source: Burkina Information Agency