OUAGADOUGOU: The Ouistiti d’or 2025 festival, set to take place in Burkina Faso’s cities of Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, aims to celebrate the resilience of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) through humor. Scheduled for January 1 and 2, 2025, the event will showcase comedic talents from the region under the theme “15 years of therapy: Let’s laugh together, live together in peace.”
According to Burkina Information Agency, the festival’s promoter, Salif Sanfo, emphasized the event’s role as a platform for artists within the AES to promote humor as a means of stress relief amid ongoing security challenges. The festival intends to provide an opportunity for citizens to come together and find solace in laughter during turbulent times.
Sanfo outlined plans for the festival during a press conference, expressing his vision to democratize laughter across Burkina Faso. He shared intentions to establish Humor Intervention Brigades (BIH), designed to offer people an outlet for expression and relief. The festival has previously provided a stage for comedians like Moussa, known as Petit Sergent, and the group G©n©ration 2000 to perform nationally and internationally.
The director of cultural and tourist development for Ouagadougou, Harouna Ramd©, praised the initiative, noting its significance in bringing joy to the population amid a security crisis. Ramd© called on partners to support the festival and its mission to bolster humor in the region.
The AES comprises Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, each of which contributes to the festival’s artistic representation. Organizers encourage residents of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso to participate in the upcoming event, underscoring the festival’s potential for fostering community spirit and resilience through comedy.
