Sandbontenga: 26 Defence and Security Forces of the first military region of Kaya received honorary medals on Saturday in Kaya in recognition of the service rendered to the nation, on the occasion of the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the National Armed Forces.

According to Burkina Information Agency, a total of 26 recipients were honoured at the commemorative ceremony. Among them, two received the Military Medal of Honour, 23 were decorated with the Military Medal, and one firefighter was distinguished with the Firefighters’ Medal of Honour.

These distinctions salute the efforts of the recipients, including Lieutenant Gilbert Yameogo, commander of the Yako gendarmerie, who expressed his gratitude to the highest authorities. He calls on his brothers in arms to be more committed to the success of their common mission of reconquering the integrity of the national territory.

The Minister of State, Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, in his speech delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Hamado Bambara, praised the courage and bravery of the SDF. He insisted on the importance of an army understood and supported by its people, noting that the symbiosis between the army and the population is one of the foundations of victory in the face of threats.

Lieutenant Colonel Hamado Bambara invited the population to stand and resolve behind his army for an imminent victory. He paid tribute to veterans and all those who fell for the sacrifice made. For him, the memory of those who fell with weapons in hand must remain the flame of a collective commitment.

An official tribute ceremony marked by a wreath-laying ceremony was organized on Sunday, November 2, 2025, under the chairmanship of Colonel-Major Z Blaise Ouedraogo, governor of the Koulseregion.