Ouagadougou: The President of the Association for the Development of the African Diaspora (ADDI), Dr. Arikana Chiedzo Chihombori, was elevated on Friday, August 28, 2026, to the rank of Officer of the Order of Merit of Administration and Labor, with the clasp "Friendship and Cooperation," by the Burkinab¨ nation. The distinction was awarded to her by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Comrade Karamoko Jean Marie Traor©, on behalf of the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traor©.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this decoration recognizes Dr. Arikana Chiedzo Chihombori's commitment to African solidarity, the development of the continent, and the promotion of the Pan-African ideal. It also reflects the recognition of the highest Burkinabe authorities towards ADDI for its support of the ongoing revolutionary dynamic in Burkina Faso.
'ADDI and Burkina Faso are one entity. Your commitment to Africa is a commitment shared at the highest level of the State,' said the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In awarding this medal to the president of ADDI, the Burkinabe foreign minister praised the many efforts made by the organization, which, according to him, are producing concrete results in Africa and in Burkina Faso.
Receiving this distinction with emotion and gratitude, the president of ADDI reaffirmed her attachment to Burkina Faso and her commitment to pan-Africanism. "It is always a great pleasure to talk about Burkina Faso to the world. Celebrating what is being done in Burkina Faso is something I do with pride," she said.
She reiterated ADDI's commitment to the struggle for sovereignty and economic liberation undertaken in Burkina Faso. 'President Captain Ibrahim Traor© has already laid the groundwork for a true liberation of Africa. What he now needs is a larger army, made up of African children, men and women who understand this vision and who know that the African revolution began in Burkina Faso,' she stated.
Praising the potential of Burkinabe youth and their mobilization around the revolutionary vision, Dr. Arikana Chiedzo Chihombori proposed that this vision could serve as an example to all African youth. To that end, she advocated for better interaction between young Africans, through the creation of frameworks for dialogue and pan-African conversations.
As a reminder, under the leadership of President Chihombori, more than 700 Afro-descendants and members of the African diaspora mobilized in Burkina Faso to support the struggle for sovereignty undertaken by the Burkinabe authorities.