Securing the border areas between Benin and Burkina-Faso: The Kourou-Koualou zone under discussion

Citizen think tank for West Africa Wathi in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer organized a roundtable on Wednesday 17 last November on the security of border areas in Benin. This meeting is part of his political project in Benin. Among other subjects discussed during its meetings, the securing of the Kourou-Koualou area, an area of ​​lawlessness disputed by Benin and Burkina Faso.

“Benin and Burkina Faso have a border of 300 kilometers. We all agreed to finally draw the line on 290 kilometers. But arrived at the level of the Kourou-Koualou area, an area of ​​68km2 which counts 7 localities, we could not come to an agreement because Benin has a paper which proves that the zone belongs to it and Burkina Faso also has a paper which gives it the zone ”clarifies Marcel Baglo Ayité Director General of the Beninese integrated management agency. border areas.

The two countries therefore opted for a peaceful settlement, hence the birth of the concerted management committee of the Kourou-Koualou zone.. With the security crisis situation in Burkina Faso, the country of upright men therefore decided at the last meeting of the concerted management committee to let Benin continue the process.. "Now that we have the authorization under the cooperation agreements with Burkina Faso, the right of pursuit is ours and Benin now has the capacity to strengthen the security of border areas and to fight against the trafficking which develops there ”suggested General Marcel Guidimey vice-president of the committee in charge of security missions of the national territory.

Bachirou ISSA