Ouagadougou: The National Coordination of Citizen Watch Associations (CNAVC) initiated a three-day confederal forum in Ouagadougou, aiming to support Presidents Ibrahim Traor© of Burkina Faso, Assimi Gota of Mali, and Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger in their pursuit of national sovereignty and the development of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

According to Burkina Information Agency, the CNAVC organized a panel on the first day of the forum to rally support for the three heads of state. The panel was themed "Sovereign communication and defense of the information space of the AES: role of the media, influencers and citizen watchdog organizations." The discussions were led by Adama Traor©, president of the Framework for Exchanges and Reflection of the Peoples of the Sahel, along with Zanga Gota of the Citizen and Patriotic Watch platform, and Lianhou© Imhotep Bayala, national coordinator of the platform "2 hours for us, 2 hours for Africa."

Omar Michel Kopia, the CNAVC's president for the month, emphasized the need for constant mobilization against imperialism. He urged members and actors in Mali and Niger to collaborate on strategies to protect the leaders of the Confederation. "Imperialism cannot be fought with weapons. It is the population that demands its sovereignty and must take responsibility," he stated.

Lianhou© Imhotep Bayala, spokesperson for the communicators, highlighted the importance of addressing disinformation and communication warfare. He stressed that the battle extends beyond physical territory to the virtual space of information. Bayala questioned how narratives invading the Aesian space can be controlled and how populations can be shielded from Western media influences.

Bayala further explained that communication warfare involves preparing minds before conflicts escalate and preventing the exploitation of African lands. "It must be understood that there is no innocent communication and that adverse communications carry the interests of those who produce them," he said.

The discussions were moderated by Dr. Boukary N©bi©, the new Director of Information and School and Vocational Guidance (DIOSP).