Houndé – In an important gathering this past Friday, the Provincial Observatory for the Prevention and Management of Community Conflicts (OPPREGECC) of Tuy province convened to craft a comprehensive action plan aimed at addressing rising community conflicts. The session was presided over by Bassidiki Ouattara, the Secretary General of Tuy province, and took place in Houndé.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the assembly focused on assessing the current challenges and successes of the ONAPREGECC mechanism. Participants were presented with two key communications: the first reviewed the mechanism’s overall performance, while the second delved into the specific types and challenges of community conflicts within the Hauts-Bassins region. Notably, data from ONAPREGECC highlighted a significant increase in community conflicts, with reports showing 145 instances in 2023, up from 70 in 2022, marking a 107% rise. Among these, land disputes were most prevalent, followed by conflicts between farmers and herders, issues related to traditional chieftaincy, religious disputes, and water-related conflicts.

The session’s focus was particularly attuned to the recurrent land conflicts in Tuy province, characterized by issues such as usurpation, forced occupation, and disputes over land boundaries and rights. The meeting concluded with the development of a three-year action plan for OPPREGECC, outlining targeted activities to prevent and effectively manage these conflicts.

In closing remarks, Secretary General Ouattara expressed satisfaction with the productive discussions and the contributions from various stakeholders, which significantly enriched the observatory’s action plan. He also extended gratitude to the regional partner OKDB for its support in facilitating the session.