Ouagadougou: The Burkinabe government has taken a decisive step by adopting a decree in the Council of Ministers that declares a plot of land in the Koulse Region as being of urgent public utility for military works.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the designated site encompasses an area of 57.6 hectares and is situated west of National Route 22, a crucial connection between Ouagadougou and Kongoussi. For more than 70 years, this land has been at the heart of a longstanding dispute between the village of Yilou and the farming hamlet of Zaonna, which is part of the village of Saorzi.

The conflict intensified on October 31 and November 1, 2025, resulting in numerous injuries and substantial material damage. In response to these events, which threaten social cohesion and peace in the region, the State has opted to expropriate the contested land. This measure is aimed at facilitating the implementation of the military works project.

The decree seeks to clear the site of any holders of real property rights or occupants, thereby resolving the land conflict definitively and paving the way for the military development initiative.