From 14 to 16 July 2025, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC), Manssour Bin Mussallam, undertook an official visit to Burkina Faso with the aim of strengthening strategic ties between the country and the Organisation, and promoting key initiatives designed to foster South-South cooperation.
The visit began with a highly symbolic moment: the Secretary-General paid tribute at the Thomas Sankara Memorial, located in the capital city, Ouagadougou. This gesture honoured the legacy of the historic Burkinabè leader, whose emancipatory thought continues to inspire the peoples of the Greater South.
On the same day, the Secretary-General held a fruitful meeting with H.E. Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabè Abroad, and H.E. Roger Baro, Minister of Environment, Water and Sanitation. The discussions focused on deepening bilateral collaboration between the OSC and Burkina Faso and enhancing cooperation mechanisms among the countries of the Greater South. Strategic projects of the Organisation were also addressed, including Balanced and Inclusive Education, the development of endogenous technologies, transdisciplinary research, development finance, and the upcoming Southern Commission on Ecologically-driven Development.
During the second day, the Secretary-General was received by H.E. Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouedraogo, Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, and H.E. Yacouba Zabré Gouba, Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries. The discussions explored new avenues of cooperation in the field of cultural and artistic exchange, as well as in the development of sustainable energy and responsible management of natural resources. Both areas were acknowledged as fundamental pillars for building a new multilateralism rooted in the identities, aspirations, and endogenous capacities of the Greater South.
The third and final day of the visit was marked by a multidimensional approach to development. The Secretary-General met with H.E. Aboubakar Nacanabo, Minister of Economy, Finance and Forecasting; H.E. Dr. Amadou Dicko, Minister Delegate to the Minister of State, Minister for Agriculture, Animal, and Fisheries Resources in charge of Animal Resources; and H.E. Aminata Zerbo-Sabané, Minister of Digital Transition, Posts, and Electronic Communications. The exchanges addressed key issues such as the consolidation of the Greater South Development Bank, the transformation of the international financial architecture, the creation of high value-added agricultural production chains, the forthcoming Southern Commission on Artificial Intelligence, and the establishment of sovereign Data Centres.
Through this official visit, the OSC reaffirmed its commitment to Burkina Faso and to the peoples of the Greater South to advance a transformative cooperation that places knowledge, justice, and solidarity at the heart of development. The mission concluded with a shared vision: to build concrete bridges of integration for a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable common future.
