Burkina: in Pazani, the cordial cohabitation of the Fulani and displaced Mossis

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Text by: RFI Follow

For the past eight months, displaced people from Soum have been settled near Ouagadougou. 600 people arrived in July after fleeing their village of Silgadji in the north of the country prey to jihadist attacks. These Mossis were welcomed by Fulani villagers with whom they have cohabited since. Quite a symbol in a context of growing community distrust in Burkina Faso.

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With our special envoy to Pazani, Pierre Pinto

At the end of the village, the goats graze on rare shrubs and wander among small concrete blocks. An arid place swept by the winds of February which raise the dust and catch the children's cold. This is where the Peuls of Pazani live. There also live the displaced people from Silgadji , stranded here by chance, 8 months ago.

" With those in the village there is no problem," explains Sidick Sawadogo, one of their deans. The old people welcomed us. There has never been a palaver or argument with them. They gave us what we needed. We really get along very well . "

The thing can surprise when we know that in the north of Burkina prey to violence, the Mossi and Fulani communities, in particular, look at each other more and more with distrust, the latter being often perceived as accomplices of the jihadists. " Here, it is a Fulani village but we get along very well," says Ali Tapsoba, one of the displaced. There is not this distrust like where we come from. Here, all ethnic groups rub shoulders. "

Under his tree in front of the small mosque, the old Boukary Diallo, assistant to the village chief, does not feel concerned at all by this growing distrust between communities in certain areas of the country. " It's northern business. Here, Peuls, Mossis… We are all the same. It's our family. There is no difference. It's confidence. "

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