Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast gave Friday in Niangologo (Burkina), a new start to their cooperative relations which have been undermined in recent months by misunderstandings.
‘We leave Niangologo with hearts full of joy. We have reviewed all the points of relations between the two countries and I can assure you that this meeting in Niangoloko will give a new start to relations between Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. We can only congratulate ourselves on what has just happened today and I will say no more,’ said the Ivorian Minister of State for Defense, Téné Birahima Ouattara, on Friday.
The Ivorian minister was speaking at the end of a meeting requested by him with his Burkinabè counterpart, Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly.
‘We hope that we will make a new start as part of strengthening relations between our two countries to fight against terrorism in our sub-region and the various trafficking that takes place on the common border between our two countries,’ said the General Coulibaly.
In recent mon
ths, relations between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso have experienced tensions, linked to the arrests of two Ivorian gendarmes and two elements of the Burkinabè Combatant Forces, accused of having crossed the border with their service weapons.
In the opinion of Minister of State Ouattara, if there are ‘stumbling points’, they must be resolved to ‘move forward’.
‘This meeting that we, the Ivorian party, wanted, was very useful in allowing us to talk to each other. The people on both sides of these borders have practically a lot in common. (….) And to do this, these two peoples must do everything to stay together,’ he explained.
For Minister of State Kassoum Coulibaly, it is appropriate that the two neighboring nations always talk to each other and ensure that there is no breakdown in dialogue.
‘We want to live in a common space of security in fraternity and cordiality. Dear brothers, you are at home. There is perhaps only an imaginary strip that separates us, (but) we are together,’ declared Brigadier Gener
al Kassoum Coulibaly at the opening of the proceedings.
Minister of State Téné Birahima Ouattara took the opportunity to congratulate Burkina Faso for the victories achieved in the fight against terrorism.
He expressed the support of the Ivorian Government and showed his compassion for the losses suffered in this war.
Source: Burkina Information Agency