The roots of the Arabic language in Burkina Faso go back several centuries. The French language has dominated for decades, under the influence of colonialism, education and administration.
This reality has imposed cultural hegemony at the expense of Arabic speakers and learners. In the 1960s and 1970s, demands were made to include Arabic as a subject in secondary schools. In recent years, the number of Arab schools in Burkine Faso has reached more than 2,500. It appears that there appears that this challenge still remains, says Abha Abdullah Boudadeh.