🇧🇫Burkina FasoWest Africa
Bobo-Dioulasso celebrates Sahelian fraternity and community richness at the 22nd National Culture Week
via Lefaso.net8 min read
Bobo-Dioulasso hosted the 22nd National Culture Week, with the official opening ceremony for the Alliance of Sahel States Fraternity Week, the Communities Village, and the African Gastronomy Gallery held on Sunday, April 26, 2026. The event, presided over by the Prime Minister, represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, featured speeches, artistic performances, a ribbon-cutting, and stand visits. The Communities Village, a key part of the National Culture Week, serves as a hub for cultural exchange and discovery, showcasing the cultural diversity of Burkina Faso and the African continent. This year, it brought together 31 Burkinabè and 15 African communities, highlighting traditions, heritage, and identity. Laurent Kontogom, president of the special delegation of the commune of Bobo-Dioulasso, emphasized the symbolic importance of hosting the AES Fraternity Week, noting Bobo-Dioulasso's history of fostering fraternity and social cohesion. Mamou Daffé, the Malian Minister of Handicrafts, Culture, Hotel Industry, and Tourism, praised the vision of the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, including Captain Ibrahim Traoré, General Abdourahamane Tiani, and General Assimi Goïta, for their commitment to Sahelian fraternity. Minister Traoré, speaking on behalf of the Burkinabè government, highlighted culture's role as a collective memory, identity foundation, and instrument of sovereignty, emphasizing shared values of hospi
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The Tony Elumelu Foundation, in partnership with Burkina Faso's Ministry of Sports, Youth, and Employment and UBA bank, held a meeting in Ouagadougou on July 23, 2026, to discuss financing for young entrepreneurs. This second edition aimed to explore mechanisms to enhance youth access to funding, particularly in green entrepreneurship. The Tony Elumelu Foundation's program, which runs annually from January to August, focuses on supporting young entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on green initiatives. Chidinma Nioaukuo, the Foundation's communication manager in Burkina Faso, noted that the program has supported 384 entrepreneurs in the country, leading to the creation of over 39,000 jobs and generating more than $11 million in revenue for beneficiary businesses. Jacqueline Ilboudo, representing the Ministry of Youth and Employment, praised the Foundation's vision, aligning it with Burkina Faso's sovereign ambitions. She highlighted the meeting as a crucial platform for dialogue on financing young entrepreneurs and sharing experiences within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Ministry's representative also expressed a desire for discussions to cover access to finance, business formalization, technical capacity building, and improving the business environment, seeing these as vital for addressing climate challenges and fostering green entrepreneurship. Serge Coulibaly, Deputy General Manager of UBA Burkina, emphasized the program's success in transforming African economies by empow
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of Faso, Head of State, and Supreme Commander of the National Armed Forces, presided over the official graduation ceremony of the 25th class of active student officers from the Georges-Namoano Military Academy on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Pô, Nazinon region. A total of 217 new second lieutenants are joining the service of Burkina Faso and nine other African countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Chad, and Togo. The Burkinabe contingent of this class comprises 199 officers. The class is sponsored by General Kassoum Coulibaly, former Minister of Defense and current Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the United States of America. It is named "Lieutenant Sawadogo Alexandre Bienvenu" in honor of the officer who died in service in February 2022. Major General Moussa Diallo, Chief of Staff of the Armies, urged the new second lieutenants to demonstrate integrity and loyalty to their respective nations, instructing them to reject "ease, arrogance, corruption, and treachery." This year's ceremony was held at the site of the new academy under construction. Lieutenant-Colonel William Desmond Baguera, Commander of the AMGN, stated that the new academy symbolizes "assumed national pride" and the Head of State's commitment to its construction. The 25th class wore new uniforms made from traditional Gourmantché fabric, worn at the end of initiation rites in eastern Burkina Faso. Second Lieutenant Abdallah Cédric Ki
Niger's Ministry of Commerce and Industry has suspended 36 cement distributors, including well-known wholesalers, for 15 days, effective July 23, 2026. The distributors are accused of fraudulently hoarding significant quantities of 32.5 cement to create scarcity and drive up prices. During the suspension, cement companies are prohibited from selling to these operators, and their trucks are barred from commercial activities nationwide. These operators also face potential legal action under the 2019 competition law. This action comes as the government implemented special promotional sales to make cement more accessible, setting the price per ton between 54,000 CFA francs and 60,000 CFA francs depending on the region. Authorities aim to prevent shortages and control unjustified price increases for this essential product. While consumer associations and the public have welcomed the measures as a fight against speculation, some citizens, according to actuniger.com, consider the initial sanctions too lenient given the severity of the acts, especially in the current context of national rebuilding.