Burkina Faso: Exchanges between the Prime Minister Dr Apollinaire Joachimson Kyélèm de Tambela and Mr. Wolfram Vetter from EU
The Prime Minister, Dr Apollinaire Joachimson Kyélèm de Tambèla, received the Ambassador, Head of the European Union Delegation, Wolfram Vetter. At the end of his mission in Burkina Faso, the diplomat went to bid farewell to the Head of Government.
During this audience, the two personalities reviewed cooperation between Burkina Faso and the European Union.
The Head of Government praised the spirit of dialogue that has always guided most of the ambassadors who have succeeded one another at the head of the European Union representation in Burkina Faso.
«With the European Union, there has always been dialogue, consultation and even cultural immersion with the host country. They work to blend into society, to experience the realities of society, unlike some ambassadors who remain isolated from society», said the Prime Minister.
He also had a message for Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union.
«When you return, tell your superiors that human values are universal, but the context is different», he said.
Dr Kyélèm de Tambela continued: «You in Europe are developed, we are underdeveloped, you have institutional stability, here we have institutional instability. Burkina Faso has been independent since 1960 and has had eleven (11) heads of state. This just goes to show the extent of our institutional instability. You in Europe are in a situation of peace, whereas we in Burkina Faso are in a situation of war».
He therefore asked the Europeans to take this into account in their analyses.
«It’s time for us to ask ourselves the real questions, to make a diagnosis in order to find the root of the problem, to avoid this instability. When you talk about inclusion, that may or may not be understandable, because there are people who have personal agendas for their own benefit. We have an impersonal agenda for the general interest of the country», he added.
According to the Prime Minister, «our country, which is underdeveloped, and developed countries cannot have the same vision in the management of public affairs».
«You always push Africans away when they come to Europe. Why do they go there? Because Africa is underdeveloped. They go to where it’s better developed. You can only stop them by giving hope to every citizen, by giving every citizen a worthwhile job. That’s the only way to stop people looking elsewhere. We have to look at these problems and find ways for our citizens to fulfil themselves locally. We cannot do this with the same policies that have produced the same results since 1960. You, the partners, need to understand this», he said.
Dr Apollinaire Joachimson Kyélèm de Tambèla also spoke about the difficult situation in Burkina Faso.
«We have insecurity and you have peace. You should take this fact into counsideration. While we are fighting terrorism, there are Burkinabè who support the terrorists. Burkinabè are in contact with terrorists, they finance terrorists, can there be inclusiveness with these people? This problem of the fight against insecurity means that we have to put a lot of resources into buying weapons, and we also have to be careful with whom we work so as not to strengthen the enemies’ camp”, insisted the Head of Government.
The Prime Minister took the opportunity to explain to the European Union why Burkina Faso needs a new Constitution.
«We need a new Constitution that takes account of our realities and will guarantee stability, because the current Constitution has no impact on our societies. Even educated people don’t understand it; only a few legal experts do. You can’t defend something you don’t understand. That’s why a coup d’état happens so quickly. It is therefore imperative to reform the Constitution so that it corresponds to the aspirations and realities of the people of Burkina Faso. Our aim is to reform the Constitution so that it can be accepted by the majority of the population. It is not a question of holding elections again quickly with the same Constitution and achieving the same results. We know that it will take a long time, but we need to think about how to avoid the spiral that consists of starting from scratch every time», insisted Dr Kyélèm deTambèla.
Wolfram Vetter, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Burkina Faso, said that he had spent four wonderful years in Burkina Faso.
In his opinion, the European Union will continue to stand by the people of Burkina Faso, as one of the country’s traditional partners.
Wolfram Vetter, went on to express his satisfaction with the spirit of openness shown by the Burkinabe authorities during his visit.
«We appreciate the openness of the authorities to discuss more sensitive issues such as human rights and international humanitarian law » he said, before expressing his admiration for the richness of Burkina Faso’s culture in all its facets.
The Editorial Team
