Burkina Faso commemorates Boussouma resistance to French colonial forces

In Burkina Faso, commemorations are underway to mark the 130th anniversary of the October 1896 battles, highlighting the resistance of the Boussouma kingdom against French colonial forces led by lieutenants Voulet and Chanoine.

At the Centre culturel du Faso in Ouagadougou, the documentary ‘Kiidiga, le cri des 333 collines’, directed by Ismaël Compaoré, held its premiere. The 70-minute film explores the historical resistance and the geography of the Boussouma kingdom. The event was attended by Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo and various government and traditional authorities.

The commemoration also featured the launch of a collective scholarly work titled ‘Burkina Faso: terre des résistances’. This 219-page book utilizes archives and oral traditions to document various forms of opposition to colonization.

On the historical site of Kiidga, Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo visited to honor the fighters of the Yarcé army and other local martyrs who resisted the occupation during the battles near Mané.