On May 30 and 31, 2025, the2nd Community Day of the project “Strengthening community resilience in agroforestry households in the Boucle du Mouhoun, Nord and Centre-Nord regions” (RESICOM) was held in the commune of Gourcy. Chaired by the Governor of the Nord region, this2nd community day was held under the theme “Shared natural resources, a common future”. Shared natural resources, a common future: Strengthening ties for peaceful coexistence”.
As a reminder, this activity is part of the RESICOM project’s intervention axis 03: “The populations of the project’s intervention regions live in an environment of peace and social cohesion thanks to concerted management of shared resources, intra/inter-community dialogue and the strengthening of local governance”.
Atypical soccer match called “Rakiir ballè” to promote social cohesion between two villages in conflict with each other (Minima and Maco), beneficiaries of the RESICOM project.
Indeed, the northern region is home to a number of socio-ethnic groups of diverse origins who, from the outset, have built up ties that underpin their peaceful coexistence. However, in view of the national and local situation marked since 2016 by insecurity and its corollary of forced population displacements and conflicts, the social and cultural foundations once serving as a foundation and benchmark for daily behavior and for living in harmony between these socio-ethnic groups, are gradually under threat. In addition, the massive displacement of populations is increasing pressure on natural resources, which can give rise to conflicts between natives and internally displaced people. To counter this, the project has built various infrastructures in its intervention zones. These include pastoral boreholes, vaccination pens and grazing areas. In addition to these achievements, the project contributes to conflict prevention through radio broadcasts, theater forums and the organization of regional community days.
This Community Day, the second of its kind in the Northern Region, aims to consolidate positive interactions between the beneficiary communities living in the Northern Region, and thus contribute to a better way of living together. To this end, the day was marked by several activities:
- Interactive radio broadcasts in the form of round table discussions to popularize endogenous strategies for resolving land-related conflicts and recommendations for strengthening social cohesion within beneficiary communities;
- An atypical soccer match called “Rakiir ballè” to consolidate joking kinship and social cohesion between 02 villages benefiting from the RESICOM project, Minima and Maco (formerly in conflict);
- A game of Tand-tandé (a game of imbalance between the women of Zindiguessé and Sitaab (Gourcy);
- A forum for sharing experience in natural resource conflict management ;
- A participatory theater about sensitivity to conflict over land management.
Illustration of the Tand-tandé game (game of imbalance between the women of Zindiguessé and Sitaab).
Beneficiaries’ experience-sharing forum on endogenous conflict management mechanisms
Participatory theater on land management conflict sensitivity
Aboubacar Sidiki NABE, High Commissioner of the Zodoma province, “The RESICOM project, through its actions on the triple Nexus “Humanitarian, Development and Peace”, has contributed to strengthening the resilience of vulnerable populations in the Northern region. This morning’s activity, which is part of the social cohesion between the project’s beneficiary communities, contributes to the government’s efforts to promote social cohesion. The testimonies of the beneficiaries confirm the positive effects of the project’s intervention. We would like to thank Solidar Suisse and SOS SAHEL International for implementing these activities in the northern region”.
Micheline OUAMEGA, Economy and Labor Program Officer, Solidar Suisse in Burkina Faso “The positive testimonials from beneficiary communities on early recovery, development and social cohesion activities is a source of satisfaction for us involved in the RESICOM project. This is the objective of the project. Through the Community Day, we intend to promote interculturality and highlight endogenous conflict management mechanisms to foster the peaceful management of shared natural resources. For example, the peace match played between the villages of Minima and Maco last year had a positive impact on relations between these villages, which organized similar social cohesion activities at local level. This year, the two villages have once again played this peace match, which is helping to strengthen relations between them. We invite other communities to follow the example of these 02 villages to strengthen social cohesion between them.”
OUEDRAOGO Madi, beneficiary from the village of Maco, “I would like to thank the RESICOM project, which, through the peace match, has fostered social cohesion between the villages of Minima and Maco (formerly in conflict). We invite the initiators to repeat this kind of activity in other localities to promote interculturality and social cohesion between communities.”
