The Council of Ministers on Wednesday adopted a decree to create the National Coordination of Local Dialogue Committees for the Restoration of Peace. These committees were announced last week by the chair. The objective is to set up a discussion mechanism with the Burkinabè who have joined the armed groups. In its report, the Council of Ministers insists on the “endogenous” nature of these committees, that is to say that each must take very local issues into account. This initiative is received with mixed feelings.
“ Violent extremism does not come from outside “, explained Thursday, Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, during a meeting with the directors of the Burkinabè media. For the president of the transition, the dialogue must therefore start on the ground, thanks to the local authorities.
Yes but which ones? Asks the former mayor of a town in Soum, in the north of the country. Because at the beginning of February, the regional and municipal councils were dissolved, and replaced by special delegations. ” From now on, the prefects manage the communitiescontinues the aedile. But some have never set foot there. »
As for customary authorities, many fled the violence. Of the four emirs of Soum, for example, only that of Djibo is still there.
Badini Idrissa, from the consultation framework of civil society organizations in Soum, welcomes this dialogue initiative but considers that the balance of power is not good. ” Lhe terrorists today manage to isolate entire municipalities, I wonder if they are not going to ask too much », Continues another civil society actor.
For more than a month, the town of Djibo has been under blockade. It could only be resupplied once, thanks to an escort from the defense and security forces.