Blaise Compaore

In Burkina Faso, the Shame of Unwed Motherhood Never Leaves

March 6, 2017

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — A white van roams the streets of the capital here every Wednesday morning to help young women and girls who may be homeless or destitute to take them to a health clinic on the outskirts of the city. There, a small team tries to help the clients, who may be …

Africa, Women

Leave a Comment

The ‘Children of Nobody’: Street Kids in West Africa

May 31, 2016

by Nabila El Hadad

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Tasséré Ouedraogo, 33, appears to have spent his childhood comfortably, as reflected in the colorful tailor-made suit he wears as an adult. Yet, from age 11 to 16, he was a bakroman, or street child, in local slang. Here in Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa of around …

Africa, Human Rights, Poverty

One Comment

Attacks in West Africa Show Regional Security Reliance on France and US

February 9, 2016

by Nabila El Hadad

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — It was about 7:30 p.m. when the meeting began on the fourth floor of the Splendid Hotel here on Jan. 15 in this capital city. Fourteen people were gathered to discuss the launching of a humanitarian association, with a Burkina government minister present. Phones were put in silent mode. While …

Africa, Terrorism

Leave a Comment

In Burkina Faso, a US Ambassador Wins Over a Slice of Francophone West Africa

January 13, 2016

by Dulcie Leimbach

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Nowhere can the positive presence of the United States in West Africa be more obvious than in the quiet, dusty nation of Burkina Faso, a mostly rural state surrounded by six other countries of ranging stability: Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger and Togo. Near the heart of a well-coordinated …

Africa, US Foreign Relations

Leave a Comment

UN-Scripted: PassBlue's exclusive podcast series

Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies at Fordham University

Women Compete in Burkina Faso’s Presidential Contest, a First for the Nation

November 29, 2015

by Dulcie Leimbach

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — This small but determined West African country voted on Sunday in its first presidential election since its last president, Blaise Compaoré, was ousted in October 2014. He had ruled the country for 27 years and was finally pushed out by a grass-roots opposition movement. Although the front-runner, Roch Marc Kaboré, …

Africa, Governance

Leave a Comment

Burkina Faso’s People, Opposing an Autocrat, Feel Let Down by the UN

November 5, 2014

by Dulcie Leimbach

The fast-moving people-power coup that ousted a longtime leader of the landlocked West African country of Burkina Faso took not only powerful nations and international institutions by surprise — including the United Nations, France, the United States, the African Union and African regional groups — but also the Burkina protesters themselves. The demonstrations started …

Africa, Governance, Secretary-General, Security Council, US Foreign Relations

Leave a Comment

Support Independent Journalism - Support PassBlue - Find out how →

Blaise Compaore

In Burkina Faso, the Shame of Unwed Motherhood Never Leaves

The ‘Children of Nobody’: Street Kids in West Africa

Attacks in West Africa Show Regional Security Reliance on France and US

In Burkina Faso, a US Ambassador Wins Over a Slice of Francophone West Africa

Women Compete in Burkina Faso’s Presidential Contest, a First for the Nation

Burkina Faso’s People, Opposing an Autocrat, Feel Let Down by the UN

This Week's Most Popular

UN-Scripted, the Passblue UN podcast series

PassBlue is a partner with the New School - Julien J. Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs