Ouagadougou: On Monday, December 8, 2025, in Ouagadougou, student Yaya Bazie defended his doctoral thesis in history on the theme: "The San-nuna village communities of the Nayala province from the 17th to the 20th century". The defense took place before an international jury composed of Professors Maurice Bazemo (chair), Ky Jean Celestin (thesis supervisor), and Herve Landry Coulibaly (examiner). The reviewers were Komla Etou from the University of Lome, Vincent Sedogo (research fellow at INSS/CNRST), and Boubie Bazie (lecturer at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University).
According to Burkina Information Agency, Yaya Bazie's thesis aims to contribute to nation-building through a better understanding of the San and Nuna communities, which constitute intermediate groups. "The San-nuna form an intermediate community between the San and the Nuna. We decided to conduct this research in order to contribute to the building of the nation-state and to the knowledge of Burkinabe societies," he said.
His study focused on the settlement of the San and Nuna populations in the 17th century, the founding and socio-political evolution of San-Nuni villages from the 17th to the 20th centuries, as well as their culture, religion, and economy during the same period. Mr. Bazie also formulated recommendations aimed at strengthening social cohesion and harmonious coexistence among these communities.
'The aim of our work is to contribute to the promotion of social cohesion by dismantling ethnic prejudices, to the building of the Burkinabe nation-state, and to enabling societies to reclaim their history,' he stated. He promised to continue producing scientific articles to address the shortcomings identified during the defense.
The jury praised the relevance of the topic and the methodological rigor of the work. Following deliberations, they declared the thesis admissible with the highest distinction. The ceremony was graced by the presence of the candidate's family members, as well as his friends and colleagues, who came to congratulate him on this academic achievement.