Ouagadougou: The Coordination of Feminist Struggles of the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM)-Africa called for the total and unconditional cancellation of illegitimate debt in Africa on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Ouagadougou. This call was launched at the closing of its regional seminar on ecofeminism, debt, and extractivism in the face of the climate crisis.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the three-day regional seminar, held from April 2 to 4, 2026, brought together expert women to discuss the theme "Strengthening ecofeminist synergies to abolish illegitimate debt and build a world based on social justice and respect for nature." Rasmata Samandoulougou, a representative of the coordination of feminist struggles of CADTM-Africa in Burkina Faso, emphasized the seminar's aim to analyze the overlapping impacts of structural debt, extractivism, and the climate crisis on African women.

Samandoulougou highlighted that African women are particularly affected by the consequences of national debt, mining operations, and climate change. She stressed the importance of promoting women's rights to achieve social justice and enable the structural transformation of states. Additionally, she criticized the microcredit systems for their high repayment rates, which often leave women in poverty.

The participants of the seminar formulated recommendations that included the total and unconditional cancellation of illegitimate debts and the implementation of citizen and transparent debt audits. For the climate crisis, they called for accessible and debt-free public climate finance. Regarding extractivism, the group urged the Burkinabe government to consider revising the interest rate ceiling from 24% to 0% at the WAEMU Council of Ministers meetings.

Rasmata Samandoulougou expressed her hope that the recommendations would influence decisions at both national and international levels. Agn¨s Adelade Metougou, project manager for the coordination of feminist struggles of CADTM-Africa, noted the seminar's success in validating a five-year strategic plan for women and developing recommendations based on the realities faced by women in different communities.

The seminar, organized by the African Movement for Endogenous Development and Education (MADE) in collaboration with CADTM-Africa, included participants from 14 countries, such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, C´te d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia.