The debates of the 78th United Nations General Assembly were marked by a powerful speech by the Burkinabe Minister of the Civil Service, Bassolma Bazié. For 40 minutes, he took the floor to denounce the hypocrisy of Western powers, in particular France, and express Burkina Faso’s frustration with the blocking of its military equipment by its international partners.
Bazié openly deplored the aid cuts and the cancellations of training conventions for defense and security forces. He stressed that Burkina Faso, faced with armed and terrorist groups, is still awaiting the delivery of military equipment ordered, but voluntarily blocked by certain Western countries.
A concrete example was given by the Burkinabè minister: a contract with Brazil for the purchase of air vectors and components from different countries. Unfortunately, these means are currently blocked, which constitutes a real danger for the security of Burkina Faso. Bazié also expressed the wish that the country could freely choose its partners in defense and armaments, without any external interference.
This strong and direct speech by Bassolma Bazié raises important questions about the sovereignty of African countries in matters of defense and security. It highlights the difficulties encountered by many countries facing terrorist threats. In addition, this highlights the opacity and geopolitical issues that are sometimes harmful for developing countries.
This intervention also shows Burkina Faso’s desire to take charge of its own security, by moving closer to non-traditional partners, such as Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Nicaragua and even North Korea. This reflects a desire to no longer depend exclusively on Western powers to ensure national security.
In conclusion, Bassolma Bazié’s powerful speech to the United Nations General Assembly highlighted the difficulties and obstacles faced by many African countries in matters of defense and security. It calls for a rethinking of partnerships and military procurement policies, in order to enable developing countries to ensure their own national security in a sovereign manner.