IWGIA IWGIA
  • Indigenous peoples in Burkina Faso

    Indigenous peoples in Burkina Faso

    The Peul and the Tuareg are the main indigenous groups of Burkina Faso, but are not recognised. The Constitution of Burkina Faso guarantees education and health for all, but as the Peul and the Tuareg are nomades, they can in practice only enjoy these rights to a very limited extent.

Burkina Faso

The Peul and the Tuareg are the main Indigenous groups of Burkina Faso, but they are not officially recognized by the state. While Burkina Faso voted in favor of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13, 2007, the Constitution of the country does not recognize the existence of Indigenous Peoples.

The Constitution guarantees education and health for all its citizens, but due to lack of resources and adequate infrastructure, nomadic populations in practice can only enjoy these rights in a very limited way.

Main Indigenous Peoples of Burkina Faso: the Peul and the Tuareg

Burkina Faso has a population of 21.510.1811 comprising some 60 different ethnic groups. The Indigenous Peoples include the pastoralist Peul (also called the fulbe duroobe egga hoɗɗaaɓe, or, more commonly, duroobe or egga hoɗɗaaɓe) and the Tuareg. There are no reliable statistics on the exact number of pastoralists in Burkina Faso. They can be found throughout the whole country but are particularly concentrated in the northern regions of Séno, Soum, Baraboulé, Djibo, Liptaako, Yagha and Oudalan. The Peul and the Tuareg most often live in areas which are geographically isolated, dry and economically marginalised and they are often the victims of human rights abuses.

Peul pastoralists are gradually becoming sedentarised in some parts of Burkina Faso. There are, however, still many who remain nomadic, following seasonal migrations and travelling hundreds of kilometres into neighbouring countries, particularly Togo, Benin and Ghana. Unlike other populations in Burkina Faso, the nomadic Peul are pastoralists whose whole lives are governed by the activities necessary for the survival of their animals and many of them still reject any activity not related to extensive livestock rearing.

Main challenges for the Peul

Burkinabe nomadic pastoralists, even if innocent of any crime, have thus been subjected to numerous acts of violence: their houses burned, their possessions stolen, their animals killed or disappeared, children and the elderly killed, bodies left to decay and their families forbidden from retrieving them.

Many are displaced by force, and the main problem is their security. A considerable number of Peul herders have suffered cattle theft, which in recent years has led to the emergence of local self-defense groups known as Koglweogo, intended to help ensure the safety of nomadic pastoralists.

Advances in the participation of pastoralists

The nomadic Indigenous movement of pastoralists in Burkina Faso has led to the emergence of a group of pastoralist leaders known as Rugga. In October 2016, around 40 of them were part of a Congress organized in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.

Rougga's vision focuses on achieving peaceful pastoralist societies by turning to internal pastoral specialists. It also exists in other countries such as Niger and can be considered a true indigenous movement, aware of the challenges faced by pastoralists.

Indigenous World 2021: Burkina Faso

Written on . Posted in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has a population of 21.510.1811 comprising some 60 different ethnic groups. The Indigenous Peoples include the pastoralist Peul (also called the fulbe duroobe egga hoɗɗaaɓe, or, more commonly, duroobe or egga hoɗɗaaɓe) and the Tuareg. There are no reliable statistics on the exact number of pastoralists in Burkina Faso. They can be found throughout the whole country but are particularly concentrated in the northern regions of Séno, Soum, Baraboulé, Djibo, Liptaako, Yagha and Oudalan. The Peul and the Tuareg most often live in areas which are geographically isolated, dry and economically marginalised and they are often the victims of human rights abuses. Burkinabe nomadic pastoralists, even if innocent of any crime, have thus been subjected to numerous acts of violence: their houses burned, their possessions stolen, their animals killed or disappeared, children and the elderly killed, bodies left to decay and their families forbidden from retrieving them.

Continue Reading

Indigenous World 2019: Burkina Faso

Written on . Posted in Burkina Faso

According to the World Bank, Burkina Faso’s population stood at 19.19 million in 2017, with a fertility rate of 5.35 children per woman and a population growth rate of 2.9% per year.

Burkina Faso comprises 66 different ethnic groups. The M’bororo Fulani and the Tuareg are two of the peoples considered indigenous. They live spread throughout the country but are particularly concentrated in the north, Seno, Soum, Yagha and Oudalan regions; they are often geographically isolated, living in dry areas, economically marginalised and the victims of human rights violations.

Continue Reading

Indigenous World 2020: Burkina Faso

Written on . Posted in Burkina Faso

According to the World Bank, Burkina Faso’s population stood at 19.19 million in 2017, with a fertility rate of 5.35 children per woman and a population growth rate of 2.9% per year.

Burkina Faso comprises 66 different ethnic groups. The M’bororo Fulani and the Tuareg are two of the peoples considered Indigenous. They live spread throughout the country but are particularly concentrated in the north, Seno, Soum, Yagha and Oudalan regions; they are often geographically isolated, living in dry areas, economically marginalised and the victims of human rights violations.

Continue Reading

STAY CONNECTED

 

About IWGIA

IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting and defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Read more.

For media inquiries click here

Indigenous World

IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Read The Indigenous World.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Contact IWGIA

Prinsessegade 29 B, 3rd floor
DK 1422 Copenhagen
Denmark
Phone: (+45) 53 73 28 30
E-mail: iwgia@iwgia.org
CVR: 81294410

Report possible misconduct, fraud, or corruption

 instagram social icon facebook_social_icon.png   youtuble_logo_icon.png  linkedin_social_icon.png  
webbureau Joomla hjemmeside design Joomla udvikling webshop SEO seo kursus Joomla kursus hacket Joomla hosting Sutra

NOTE! This site uses cookies and similar technologies.

If you do not change browser settings, you agree to it. Learn more

I understand

Joomla! Debug Console

Session

Profile Information

Memory Usage

Database Queries