LÉO, SISSILI — On Wednesday, August 14, 2024, the ‘Land and Peace’ consortium inaugurated a legal clinic in Léo, under the leadership of Baowindsida Bingo, the secretary general of the province of Sissili, aiming to address and mitigate land-related conflicts to promote peace and justice in the region.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the coordinator of the Léo legal clinic project, the initiative focuses on the tension surrounding shared resources, which are often sources of conflict that undermine peace and social cohesion within communities. The legal clinic’s establishment aligns with a broader vision to foster peace and justice, which Keïta emphasizes are crucial for the harmonious development of Sissili. The clinic is set to manage and prevent conflicts related to natural resource management, particularly land disputes.
The project, financed by the European Union with nearly 4 billion FCFA over 40 months, will operate in three municipalities of Sissili province: Bieha, Léo, and To. Keïta outlined that the clinic will focus on five main components: research, agro-pastoral mediation of transhumance, strengthening conflict management and prevention mechanisms at the local level, enhancing local actors engaged in these sectors, and promoting access to law and justice, as well as an investment component.
Keïta clarified the role of the legal clinic, stating it is not intended to administer justice or replace the legal system, nor to perform the duties of lawyers. Instead, it aims to facilitate access to justice for local populations and address justice problems related to land by working in collaboration with judicial, administrative, and customary authorities. He underscored the importance of intelligently integrating institutional and customary legal systems.
The project is a collaborative effort led by the ‘Land and Peace’ consortium, which includes NGO Terre des hommes Lausanne, the Henry Dunant Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, and the INSUCO design office. Lazare Malgoubri, representing the president of the High Court of Léo, expressed appreciation for the extension of the project within his jurisdiction and called for robust collaboration to achieve the mutual goal of guaranteeing social cohesion through the management of land conflicts.
Baowindsida Bingo expressed his gratitude to the ‘Land and Peace’ consortium, the European Union, and the Ministry in charge of Justice for their significant contribution to the initiative. He encouraged the community to utilize this new resource to resolve their legal challenges effectively.