Bwakali

African Food Sovereignty: A Matter of Life, Death, and Revival The African table is set. Not with the hearty, vibrant meals of millet and roasted plantains but with fast food burgers, soda cans, and instant noodles. This tableau of modern...

In 2009, with a degree in hand and a burning desire to serve his country, Traoré joined the Burkinabè army. This decision wasn’t driven by the desire for glory or personal gain; rather, it stemmed from a profound sense...

Kaya sits calmly 100 kilometers northeast of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital. It’s the fifth-largest town and home to roughly 100,000 people. In January 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré was one of these people. He was part of the Army’s 10th...

What had started as rage in the streets of Ouagadougou became, for Traoré, a revelation. Although just another cog in the machine of Compaoré’s army, the events of October 30th opened his eyes to a deeper truth: the people...

The recent exposé on counterfeit subsidized fertilizers being sold to Kenyan farmers has has lifted the lid on the pitfalls of fertilizers. However, this disturbing incident represents merely the tip of an iceberg - a symptom of a deeper,...

Traore was also concerned that the presence of hundreds of French soldiers in the fight against jihadists hadn’t made a difference. A 2018 military accord between France and Burkina Faso had paved the way for France to send its...

Just a few weeks later, on a Friday evening, the jihadists committed an atrocious and sacrilegious attack. They stormed the Grand Mosque in the village of Salmossi and killed fifteen worshippers. Fifteen people, executed in their place of worship....

October 30, 2014. Dust and smoke hung like a cloud in Ouagadougou’s hot streets. Burnt shells and tear gas canisters littered the crowded streets. Smoke curled into the sky like distant storm clouds. In the streets below, thousands surged,...

I first felt Wasini’s thirst in the silence after a boat leaves. The engine coughs, the wake settles, and the channel between Shimoni and the island goes back to looking innocent. Then you notice the colors that tell the...

One year earlier in 2010, a 22-year old Traoré had watched President Compaoré win re-election with over 80 percent of the vote. Although the opposition alleged widespread rigging, the victory stood. Was this also a victory for the 80...