The town of Orodara celebrated Friday, April 12, 2024 in Orodara, the festivities marking ”Donoblih” marking the return of the young people from the sacred groves. A customary collective initiation ceremony which is held every 40 years in Sèmè country. It was under the sponsorship of the Minister in charge of Culture, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo and the patronage of the one in charge of Defense, Brigade Gal Kassoum Coulibaly .
In Sèmè country, the ”Donoblih” constitute a major cultural event which perpetuates an ancestral tradition which is held every 40 years.
Indeed, this Friday, April 12, 2024, the atmosphere was festive in Orodara on the occasion of the official ceremony of releasing the Donoblih after three ‘moons’ spent in the sacred woods.
The village chief of Orodara, Massa Traoré and the President of the Organizing Committee for the Donoblih 2024 festivities, Magloire Traoré, were delighted with the strong mobilization of the Sèmè community around this customary activity.
They recalled t
he importance of the ”Donoblih” in the Sèmè Society and expressed blessings and expressed their gratitude and recognition to the various members of the government for their availability and their support as well as to all those who made the trip from Orodara for the occasion.
The godfather, the Minister in charge of Culture, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, the ”Donablih”, mark the return to the tradition of young Sèmè to drink from the right source, that of ancestral values and rules in order to serve their families, their communities, their country with pride and integrity.
Given the importance of this major ancestral event among the Sèmè, Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo reassured the organizers of the government’s commitment through his department to work alongside them to safeguard this ancestral practice.
‘Communication actions will be carried out on the 2024 ‘Donoblih’ to allow the event to be immortalized, to magnify it and to keep it in memories while waiting for the next edition in 40 years,’ he adde
d. .
The patron of the ceremony, the Minister of State in charge of Defense, Brigade Gal Kassoum Coulibaly, said he was particularly sensitive to the honor given to him by associating him with the Organization of the Donoblih 2024 festivities .
According to him, this stay of young people in the sacred groves contributes to the government’s efforts in the fight against insecurity and in rooting endogenous values.
Kassoum Coulibaly praised the idea of making the stay of the initiates a moment of commitment to the habits and customs, cardinal values of society and the endogenous techniques of protection of the Sèmè against any attempt by invaders.
The 2024 ‘Donoblih’ are estimated at around 1,000 young people and have taken the baptismal name ‘Captain Ibrahim Traoré’.
Source: Burkina Information Agency