African union sends special envoy to Burkina Faso amid sahel security concerns
Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, welcomed a special envoy from the African Union (AU) on Tuesday, as the continental body seeks to deepen its understanding of the security and political challenges facing the Sahel region.
The emissary, António Téte, is representing Angolan President João Lourenço, who currently serves as Chair of the African Union. During his official visit to Ouagadougou on 17 June, Téte conveyed a personal message from President Lourenço and emphasized the AU’s commitment to dialogue and solidarity across Africa.
“This is a listening and fact-finding mission,” Téte told reporters following his meeting with President Traoré. “It is about understanding the situation in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel region.”
Téte noted that the trip was aimed at gathering insights directly from Burkina Faso’s leadership, particularly on the escalating security challenges gripping the region, which has been beset by violent extremism, political instability, and humanitarian crises in recent years.
“I came to hear from the President of Faso about the difficulties the country and the region are currently facing, and to explore what collective paths we, as Africans, can pursue to address the challenges affecting each part of our continent,” Téte said.
He underlined that the African Union’s approach is driven by its principle of non-indifference, which mandates active engagement with the crises unfolding anywhere on the continent. “Given the security situation in the Sahel, it is only natural that the African Union be guided by this principle and take interest in developments across Africa,” the Angolan diplomat stated.
Following the high-level talks, Téte said he felt “enlightened” by President Traoré’s perspective on national affairs and affirmed that their discussion also focused on ways to “further strengthen the bridge between Africans” and foster a renewed sense of unity and shared destiny across the continent.
