DORI — The mission manager at the presidency of Faso, Ali Bokoum, led a regional conference in Dori to engage Sahelians in discussions aimed at fostering peace and enhancing social cohesion in Burkina Faso’s Sahel region. The conference, supported by the Minister of State, Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, attracted over two hundred participants under the theme, “What contributions can populations make to promote peace?”
According to Burkina Information Agency, the conference aimed to influence the behavior of the populations towards more responsible citizenship amid the ongoing security crisis and the deteriorating social climate. He emphasized that the conference was designed to foster collaboration between the administration, the defense and security forces (FDS), and local communities. Bokoum highlighted the importance of including civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local populations in peacebuilding efforts and promoting the presidential initiative for community development.
Lieutenant-Colonel Fabien Rodolphe Sorgho, the governor of the Sahel region, noted that the conference served as a platform to synchronize viewpoints on the roles and responsibilities of each community member. The event featured two panels, one focused on the mutual expectations of different actors in addressing security challenges and the other on the role of CSOs and NGOs in fostering endogenous development and living together.
Representing the conference’s patron, the Minister Delegate for Animal Resources, Amadou Dicko, stressed the importance of close and concerted collaboration among stakeholders to address the security challenges in Burkina Faso. He highlighted the significant participation of youth and women in the conference, acknowledging it as a vital opportunity to enhance strategies for preventing violent extremism and radicalization.
Dicko praised the organizers for their dedication to promoting dialogue among local actors and expressed his commitment to support initiatives aimed at bolstering peace in the Sahel region.