Yaadga: The president of the national commission of the Confederation of Sahel States (CN-CES), Bassolma Bazie, indicated on Friday during an awareness conference that the Confederation was created to liberate the Sahel countries, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, from the yoke of imperialism and to promote endogenous development.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Bassolma Bazie emphasized that "Sovereignty is not given, it is seized and we are ready to seize it," highlighting the determination of the Sahel countries to reclaim their autonomy. During his nearly two-hour presentation, Bazie revisited the political history of Burkina Faso, African countries during colonization, and the struggles for emancipation of Black peoples before and after formal independence.

To better illustrate the issues surrounding sovereignty advocated by Sahel countries, the speaker reviewed, with supporting examples, the "11 chains," known as the Cooperation Agreements, which bound independent African political powers to the French colonizer. This awareness campaign by the commission aims to promote the vision of the AES leaders for the restoration of peace and development through projects like road, rail, and economic communication, as well as the creation of common forces and the consolidation of solidarity between peoples.

Bazie also outlined the context of the creation of the AES by Presidents Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso, Assimi Goita of Mali, and Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger, and the missions assigned to the national commission in each country to raise awareness among the population.

At the start of the conference, the governor of the Yaadga region, Thomas Yampa, addressed the participants, stating that the future of the confederation would be built from local communities. He expressed his belief that trust between peoples will be born and consolidated in Yaada, the conviction that unity is strength will take root, and that sovereignty only makes sense when it benefits everyone.

At the end of the communication, representatives from various sectors, including customary, religious, youth, women, citizen watch, and CSOs, thanked and encouraged the commission for its work in enlightening the masses on the history and future of their States, pledging to be at the forefront of the struggle for full sovereignty undertaken by the States of the ESA.