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Special Representative Simão concludes visit to Burkina Faso, expresses solidarity and renews United Nations Support

Special Representative Simão concludes visit to Burkina Faso, expresses solidarity and renews United Nations Support

Zawya25-06-2025
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simão, concluded yesterday a four-day visit to Burkina Faso.
Following his visit to Niger, this trip was also part of UNOWAS ongoing commitment to support the people of Burkina Faso in their efforts to consolidate peace, security, and development.
In Ouagadougou, Mr. Simão held a series of meetings with the authorities. He was received in audience by the Prime Minister, Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo. He also held discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabè Abroad, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré; the President of the Transitional Legislative Assembly, Ousmane Bougouma; the Commander and Minister of Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity, Ms. Passowendé Pélagie Kabre Kabore; and the Minister of Sports, Youth and Employment, Anuuyirtole Roland Somda. He also met with representatives of civil society, the United Nations country team, and the diplomatic corps.
The discussions covered various topics related to the national and regional situation, particularly the security situation in the sub-region and the need to coordinate efforts to effectively combat terrorism, which is using more sophisticated weapons and children.
In this regard, the Special Representative welcomed the successful meeting held in Bamako on May 22 between the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and called for regional and international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, which threatens all states in the region.
The Special Representative reiterated the United Nations' commitment, in coordination with its partners, to continue supporting the people of Burkina Faso in their quest for peace and prosperity, including in the area of food self-sufficiency.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
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