Ouagadougou: The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean Marie Karamoko Traore, launched the 8th National Integration Forum in Po, Nahouri Province. Sponsored by the Minister of Basic Education, Jacques Sosthene Dingara, this edition marks the first time the event is being held outside of Paris.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the forum, themed "African Integration: Historical Landmarks and Contemporary Imperatives," will span over 72 hours and bring together communities living in Burkina Faso through a series of activities. These include exhibitions and sales of community products, visits to tourist sites, sports activities, panel discussions, and a cervical cancer screening campaign.

Minister Traore highlighted the significance of Po as a historical symbol of hospitality and a bridge between Burkina Faso and Ghana. He emphasized the importance of fostering integration, stating, "We are at the school of integration in Po, we should work so that our children live and feel this integration and the example of Po must be praised."

Jacques Sosthene Dingara, the event's sponsor, stressed that social cohesion and peaceful coexistence among communities facilitate equitable resource access, underpinned by shared values such as integrity, solidarity, and tolerance. He identified factors disrupting social cohesion, including lack of dialogue, intolerance, incivility, inequalities, individualism, extremism, and the erosion of cultural values. Dingara urged local authorities, traditional leaders, and the broader population to nurture these values to ensure unity and integration.

Ghanaian representative Amedeker James Anane expressed gratitude to Burkinabe authorities for their efforts, notably the elimination of visa fees for Africans traveling to Burkina Faso. He hoped the forum would inspire a new policy titled "One year, one measure in favor of the integration of African peoples in Burkina Faso."

The forum's 8th edition witnessed the naturalization of individuals from Togolese, Ivorian, Beninese, Senegalese, and Central African backgrounds. Following the official ceremony, community representatives engaged in direct discussions with the supervising minister. Earlier, participants exchanged views on the forum's general theme.