Burkina Faso president calls for closer cooperation with Uganda

Ouagadougou, BURKINA FASO | THE INDEPENDENT | The President of Burkina Faso Rock Marc Christian Kabore has called for closer bilateral cooperation between his country and Uganda. The President stated this while receiving letters of credence accrediting Amb. Nelson Ocheger as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Burkina Faso.

In the ceremony which took place at the Presidential Palace in the Burkinabe Capital, Ouagadougou, President Kabore highlighted, among others, human capacity building, trade, and agriculture as areas where the two countries can cooperate for their mutual benefit. He emphasized the importance of a legal framework to facilitate the cooperation.

He noted that while the African Union has laid a foundation for integration of the African continent, not much progress has been made, yet integration has the potential to improve the welfare of the African people.

In his response, Amb. Nelson Ocheger appreciated the President Kabore’s commitment to closer cooperation with Uganda. He pointed out the need for collaboration in the areas of defense and security since the later have a strong bearing in the economic growth and development of the two countries.

The new Ugandan envoy reiterated Uganda’s determination to fight terrorism in all its forms and called for more cooperation in this endeavor.He assured his guest of Uganda’s commitment to a secure and stable African continent.

President Kabore agreed that security is an area where Uganda and Burkina Faso can cooperate and share experience since Uganda was previously faced with the problem of terrorismbut had successfully tackled it.

He revealed that he had requested President Kagame of Rwanda,at the recently concluded African Union Heads of State Summit in Kigali, to call upon African countries to help solve the insecurity problem in the Sahel region, to which Burkina Faso is a member. He hoped that Uganda would be willing to be part of the solution to this particular challenge.

The meeting was attended by the Foreign Affairs Minister of Burkina Faso, Alpha Barry and Hajarah Kalinaki, the Second Secretary at the Uganda High Commission.

Ocheger is now in charge of West African countries Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Equatorial Guinea.