Bam: The various components of the Bam province gathered on Friday, August 14, 2026, at the Women's House in Kongoussi, to implore peace, social cohesion and prosperity in the province and in Burkina Faso through a large traditional ritual marked by the immolation of a ram, a camel and an ox.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the ceremony was initiated by young people involved in gold panning and various socio-economic activities. Rassam Naba Koom of the Zitenga canton is the president of the organizing committee and Noomba Oudraogo is the vice-president.

The purpose of the ceremony, as explained by Rassam Naba, was to seek the blessing and protection of the ancestors, so that Bam and all of Burkina Faso may definitively regain peace and good social cohesion and that the various economic activities may prosper under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traor.

'We led an initial delegation to the healer Sadou Bikienga of Nagreogo to ask for his blessings. He showed us sacrifices to make. We returned and performed them. Subsequently, there was a great change, particularly with the major actions of the FDS which allowed the return of about fifty villages in Bam and the surrounding localities,' he explained.

Satisfied with this development, the initiators returned a second time to the healer to express their gratitude and request more blessings.

"This time, he showed us the sacrifices of the white ram, the white camel and the white ox to be made so that all the people eat together, so that God grants us peace, security, stability, understanding and that the affairs of the different social strata prosper," he explained.

Naba Tougri, chief of Pogro, speaking on behalf of the traditional chiefs of Bam, praised the initiative and the strong mobilization around peace. "As guardians of customs and traditions, we can only support this strong mobilization and congratulate the initiators," he declared.

The Grand Imam of Kongoussi, El Hadj Sadou Sana, spoke on behalf of all the religious leaders of Bam. He congratulated the initiators on their vision and offered blessings that God would fulfill their wishes.

It is worth noting that the canton chiefs of Zitenga, Datenga, Kirgtenga, and the canton chief of Rissiam all participated in the event. The ceremony concluded with a communal meal.