Burkina-Faso: President Ibrahim Traoré announces the consolidation of the fight to reconquer the territory.

The Head of State, Ibrahim Traoré addressed the Burkinabe nation on Saturday 31 December 2022, a few hours before the arrival of the new year, 2023. In his message, the President recalled the main lines of his mission, whose priority remains the fight for the return of security stability – and listed the efforts already made in this direction – but also the fight against financial crimes that hamper the development of the country.

It is now time for consolidation rather than reconquest, according to the President, who paid a vibrant tribute to all those engaged in the fight against jihadist threats, both security forces and VDP: “Reconquest is good, of course, but consolidation is what is going to start now. It was the right time for me to come and greet them and through them greet all those fighters who are engaged throughout Burkina Faso: National Armed Forces, Internal Security Forces, Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland, and I will not forget the greatest fighters who are the mothers and wives of these men who are on the ground.

The Captain took the opportunity to highlight the achievements already undertaken within the army, since his arrival in power, to accelerate and make more effective the fight against terrorist threats; which have begun to produce fruits on the ground: “The reorganization of the army has begun for some time and we are in a phase of change of tactics. I say tactics, not strategy, for the moment. Tactics must first change on the ground. And for the strategy, the overall change in the organisation of the army, we will talk about strategic change in the days to come. But in the mentality of the fighters, the tactics have already changed, as evidenced by the victories on the ground,” he said, before adding: “This logistical reorganization is underway and will be amplified in the days to come. Because our wish is that when the people ask for the forces, that they are present. And this requires logistics. This is being resolved and we have no doubt that this can be done and that we can quickly meet the security needs of our people.

For the President, there is also another urgent need for the good progress of the fight: the need for road infrastructure, which according to him, is also a serious problem for the development of Burkina. “It is a challenge for us and speaking of that, we will see what urgent investment programme in road infrastructure to accompany the momentum of this war. Because logistical mobility even requires these road infrastructures,” he said.

Addressing the issue of governance, the Head of State said he has also launched a war against financial abuses: “We are in an intense process against corruption and ill-gotten gains. There will be a consultation framework that the Prime Minister will soon launch, for the rebuilding of the Nation. We must totally reform our system of governance,” said Ibrahim Traoré, before adding: “The judiciary and the auditors have been given carte blanche to begin the fight against corruption and this can already be felt on the ground. I encourage them to continue the work and to help us change our system of governance (…) this fight, whether it is on the side of the administration, or in the military, we have opted for a modernization, a digitalization of institutions. This will allow us to better fight against corruption, to dematerialise many aspects of our lives.

President Ibrahim Traoré did not fail to salute the resilience of women whose children and/or spouses are engaged in the fight against terrorism in Burkina Faso: “… to all these women, mothers and wives who are at the back, these heroines, who pray day and night, not knowing what has become of their children or their husbands, often due to a lack of communication, they struggle to get information, but they bear it. This is the place for me to say thank you to them, to continue to hold on because this is what also galvanises us on the ground. When we know they are holding on, it galvanises the soldier,” he said

Miss OLY