Burkina Faso Roundup: Food aid, terrorism, economic growth
Food aid
China has pledged 1.7 billion CFA francs ($2,723) to Burkina Faso as food aid. This was revealed during a meeting between Chinese Ambassador Lu Chan and Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabè Abroad on Monday, November 6, 2023. This, according to local news outlet Ouaga, is evidence of strong ties between both countries. Other cooperation projects including the construction of a solar power plant in Kombissiri is being supported by the Chinese government.
Tour du Faso
President of the Transition, Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traore received participants of the 34th edition of Tour du Faso, Africa’s biggest cycling race on Monday morning. According to Burkina24, the president, while addressing the group noted that the success of the event held is the country is proof that all is well and that Burkina Faso is easy to visit, despite negative reports of extreme terrorism being propagated by certain Western media platforms.
Economic growth
Burkina Faso Prime Minister, Maître Apollinaire Joachimson Kyelem de Tambela has projected an economic growth forecast of 6.4 percent in 2024 for the country. Local news outlet Sidwaya reports that the government leader, during the monthly ceremony of raising the national flag mentioned that reduction in inflation rates from 14.1 percent to 1.2 percent and improving economic indicators show that citizens “have decided to write their history by themselves”.
Terrorist neutralisation
The Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland, an armed self-defense group in Burkina Faso created to fight Islamists neutralized several terrorists and recovered equipment in operations in the North, Center-North and East of the country. According to local media outlet AIB, the combat forces in Bogandé, during the operation on Monday in the village of Tipoli discovered equipment including 9 Kalashnikovs (AK47), 10 motorcycles, communications equipment, and religious books. They also captured two of the alleged terrorists.
Women Conference
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivia Rouamba represented the country in the 2023 International Conference on Women and Islam that took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Arriving for the program on Monday November 6, the minister was welcomed by Director General of the Mecca Region Branch of Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mazin Hamad Alhimali. According to Burkina24, the conference seeks to empower Muslim women at the center of trade by bringing together ministers in charge of foreign affairs, ministers in charge of women as well as organisations promoting the rights of women. Also present were officials of the Muslim religion.
