Youth movements in Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire address sovereignty and illegal mining

In Burkina Faso, youth in the Ziro province celebrated International Youth Day by reaffirming their support for the Popular Progressive Revolution (RPP) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). During events in Sapouy, officials highlighted the RELANCE 2026-2030 strategic plan, which aims to strengthen national sovereignty and economic resilience. The commemorations included marches, public conferences revisiting the values of the Thomas Sankara era, and calls for youth to drive social and political transformation.

In Côte d'Ivoire, youth leader Otté Hermann Cyriac has raised alarms regarding the rise of illegal gold mining in the Sassandra and Fresco departments. He reported that clandestine mining networks are operating within local villages and along the Sassandra River, allegedly benefiting from complicity among certain customary and administrative authorities. Cyriac warned that these activities are damaging the environment and polluting local water sources, specifically affecting the water quality supplied to households via the Gaoulou pumping station.