West African Artists Rally Support for Security Forces through Graffiti at Ouagadougou Festival

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina – During the ongoing Saha International Graffiti Festival (FIGS) in Ouagadougou, West African artists have been using their talents to convey messages of support for soldiers battling terrorism in the Sahel. The festival, now in its second edition and themed ‘the walls have ears’, focuses on the region’s security situation.

According to Burkina Information Agency, FIGS, supported by African initiatives and a Russian-Burkinabe association, has attracted artists and painters from Burkina, Mali, and Niger. This year’s festival features a variety of activities, including performance art, exhibition-sales, and a hip hop concert with performances by Tely, Manoos, Dr Mario, Owsy, Marto, Eric Benin, Deris, Sié, and others.

Festival coordinator Ousmane Guigma, also known as Manoos, described this edition as an opportunity for artists to communicate with the public amidst the challenging security context in the Sahel. “We are here at the foot of the wall of the Ouagadougou airport canteen. We started our work yesterday, Thursday, and we must complete it this Friday,” he stated.

Christian Macaire Bayala, a Malian graffiti artist, expressed his art as a form of encouragement to the armed forces of Mali and Burkina Faso in their fight against terrorism. Bayala’s work also aims to send a message of solidarity to the women of the Defense and Security Forces, particularly those who have lost their husbands in service, and to mothers enduring violence in their communities.

Nigerien artist-designer and painter, Eric Krudch, shared that his participation in the festival is part of his journey to learn and hone his artistic skills. In Burkina Faso, graffiti remains a relatively underdeveloped art form. The festival, which concludes on Saturday, seeks to promote this urban art and introduce it to the Burkinabè public.