🇧🇫Burkina FasoWest Africa
Burkina Faso launches "Deme Sira" digital platform to enhance national solidarity
via Lefaso.net2 min read
Burkina Faso's Minister of Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity, Lieutenant-Colonel Pélagie Kaboré, officially launched the "Deme Sira" digital platform in Ouagadougou on June 2, 2026. This initiative, sponsored by the Minister in charge of Digital Transition Aminata Zerbo / Sabané, aims to modernize and strengthen the national social protection system through digital technology. According to Lieutenant-Colonel Pélagie Kaboré, the platform addresses an urgent need to transform social action in response to evolving vulnerabilities, as successive crises have exacerbated distress, requiring faster, more effective, and accessible intervention mechanisms. The "Deme Sira" platform is designed as a local tool allowing citizens to report vulnerability cases or request social assistance directly via a phone or connected device. The Minister emphasized the platform's innovations, including transparency, traceability of resources, and accountability, enabling real-time tracking of contributions from citizens, partners, or volunteers to monitor fund usage and beneficiaries. The platform also seeks to improve coordination among social sector actors, integrating statistics, monitoring tools, and a testimonial space for beneficiaries. While acknowledging challenges like digital illiteracy, the Minister announced future improvements, such as integrating national languages and AI-based solutions. Technically, "Deme Sira" uses a secure, nationally hosted digital architecture with data p
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Lefaso.net.
Senegal faces significant internal divisions in both its political landscape and football administration. Politically, intense hostilities are observed between President Diomaye Faye and National Assembly President Ousmane Sonko. Sonko, the former Prime Minister, reportedly attempted to amend the constitution to limit the President's powers, particularly regarding the dissolution of the Assembly and control over political funds. The Constitutional Council rejected these amendments on procedural grounds, not on their merits. This move is seen as an effort by Sonko's Pastef party to counter President Faye, who is also building his own political base for the 2029 elections. In football, the Senegalese Football Federation is criticized for the national team's poor performance, including issues with coaching contracts and player bonuses. The Federation's attempt to blame the team doctor, who has served for ten years, drew strong condemnation from the Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine, which demanded a public apology. These situations underscore a broader concern that national leaders are focused on internal power struggles rather than addressing critical issues like youth unemployment and the high cost of living, which continue to drive Senegalese youth to seek opportunities abroad.
Must ReadThe President of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, was received by Burkina Faso's Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, in Ouagadougou on Thursday, July 16, 2026. This marks Youssouf's first official visit to Burkina Faso since taking office, signifying a key step in strengthening relations between the country and the continental organization. During the meeting, the African Union Commission President shared insights from his discussions with various sectoral departments. He commended Burkina Faso's current momentum, which he noted was evident in both statistical data and on-the-ground observations. Youssouf specifically praised the citizen mobilization efforts supporting endogenous development.
Bridge Bank Group Côte d’Ivoire BBGCI announced its listing on the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières BRVM during a press conference in Ouagadougou on July 16, 2026. The operation involves selling 20% of the bank's capital, equating to 10 million shares, for a total of 67.5 billion CFA francs. The indicative share price is set at 6,750 CFA francs. The subscription period for both individual and institutional investors runs from July 20 to August 6, 2026, with the first listing on the BRVM expected in September 2026. Bridge Securities, BBGCI's brokerage subsidiary, will assist subscribers. This initial public offering aims to finance the group's growth and is not a divestment by historical shareholders. The financial holding company Bridge Group West Africa BGWA will retain a majority stake of 52.7% post-IPO. The funds raised will strengthen the holding company's equity and support the group's strategic plan for 2026-2030, which focuses on regional expansion, enhanced financing for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises SMEs, and accelerated digital transformation. BBGCI, present in Côte d’Ivoire since 2006 and Senegal since 2021, plans to enter the Burkinabe market and establish a presence in Guinea from 2027. The bank also emphasizes its digital transformation efforts, including a successful core banking system migration in March 2025. The decision to go public is supported by strong financial performance, with a net profit of 27.2 billion CFA francs in 2025, a 19% increase