Kampti: Lieutenant Sonde Yacouba Traore officially took the reins of the Kampti Departmental Water and Forestry Service, replacing Lieutenant Albert Pale, during a handover ceremony presided over by the Prefect, President of the Special Delegation (PDS) of Kampti, Massahiba Aime Soulama.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the ceremony, held in the presence of the acting provincial director of Water and Forests of Poni, brought together relatives, friends, colleagues, and partners who came to express their gratitude to the outgoing head of service for the efforts made in service to the department.

Lieutenant Pale arrived in Kampti on March 15, 2022, and led the departmental service for three years, seven months, and fifteen days, before handing over his position on October 30, 2025. In his address, the Kampti District Commissioner praised Lieutenant Pale’s professionalism and sense of duty, demonstrated by numerous protection and reforestation projects in the commune. He presented him with a letter of congratulations on behalf of the community, while urging the new head of service to continue this momentum.

The PDS stressed that Lieutenant Pale leaves a positive legacy, before wishing Lieutenant Traore Sonde Yacouba every success in his new role. Lieutenant Pale, visibly moved, expressed his satisfaction with the work accomplished with his team during his time in Kampti. He indicated that he was leaving with a sense of duty fulfilled and thanked his colleagues as well as the local authorities for their constant support.

For his part, Lieutenant Traore Sonde Yacouba promised to consolidate the achievements of his predecessor and to continue the service’s mission with rigor and loyalty. He pledged to work in continuity, remaining faithful to the principles that guide the Water and Forestry Corps. The acting provincial director of Water and Forests of Poni, for his part, congratulated the two officers for their sense of duty and their esprit de corps, recalling that the forest remains a heritage to be protected with selflessness.

Friends and colleagues offered symbolic gifts to Lieutenant Pale to mark their appreciation and to acknowledge the good collaboration maintained throughout his mission. Lieutenant Diallo Amadou, a colleague in the service, praised Lieutenant Pale as an open, rigorous, and results-oriented leader. He stated that Lieutenant Pale had instilled discipline and a commitment to quality work within his team, and wished his successor every success.

The ceremony ended in a friendly atmosphere, marked by fraternal exchanges between the various actors of the Water and Forestry Corps, as well as other paramilitary bodies and local authorities.