Dano – The Ioba province conducted its first session of the provincial emergency relief and rehabilitation council (COPROSUR), alongside the Provincial Consultation Framework (CCP), on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. The session, chaired by the High Commissioner of Ioba province, Bernadette Adenyo / Sermé, took place in Dano.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Gouman Evariste Somé, the COPROSUR session centered on two major humanitarian issues. Somé detailed the current humanitarian situation in Ioba, noting that as of March 30, 2023, the province had recorded 2,995 internally displaced persons (IDPs), as per CONASUR figures. He emphasized the need for updated data and proposed actions to enhance humanitarian care in the province.

The session also addressed the repatriation of approximately 320 Burkinabés from Ghana, who were received in Ouéssa in the Ioba province last July. These returnees, according to Somé, received assistance and were able to return to their original localities, thanks to the support of the government and the hospitality of the host populations.

A key topic discussed in the CCP segment was the introduction of a new mercury-free gold processing technology. Saidou Kabré, the country representative of the NGO Artisanal Gold Council (AGC), presented the Planet Gold project and its activities in the Ioba province. A mercury-free ore processing unit has been installed in Gnikpière, in the commune of Dano, benefiting artisanal miners.

The session served as a platform for exchanges between humanitarian actors and those involved in environmentally friendly gold extraction, focusing on protecting human and animal health. High Commissioner Bernadette Adenyo / Sermé highlighted the session’s role in revitalizing the CCP and COPROSUR, as well as in addressing the province’s developmental challenges.

Adenyo / Sermé appreciated the government’s measures for food and physical security to support IDPs and acknowledged the significant contributions of CCP members to the welfare and development of Ioba province. She also extended gratitude to the AGC for its financial support in facilitating the session.