Burkina Faso enhances diplomatic expertise with geopolitical foresight training
The National Centre for Strategic Studies (CNES) has inaugurated a three-day intensive workshop in Ouagadougou aimed at sharpening the analytical skills of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials. Held at the Permanent Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism in Ouaga 2000, the session focuses on strategic intelligence and geopolitical forecasting.
Thirty diplomats, ambassadors, and technical advisors are participating in this first-of-its-kind training designed to equip them with advanced tools for crisis anticipation and policy guidance. The programme blends theoretical instruction with hands-on exercises, including the drafting of operational briefing notes.
Key objectives and expert insights
According to Brigadier General Barthélémy Aimé Simporé, Director-General of CNES, the workshop addresses a critical gap in Burkina Faso’s diplomatic preparedness. He highlighted the rapidly shifting global power dynamics, escalating security crises, and persistent strategic uncertainties as defining challenges of the current era.
« The focus is no longer on reacting to crises but on building predictive capabilities that will strengthen Burkina Faso’s position on the international stage, » he stated.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by its Cabinet Director Dieudonné Désiré Sougouri, welcomed the partnership with CNES. He emphasized the need for continuous upskilling to navigate an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
« Traditional diplomatic frameworks are being challenged daily. Our experts must evolve to grasp the intricacies of international geopolitics and provide timely, informed guidance to policymakers, » he noted.
Programme structure and future initiatives
Over three days—from 8 to 10 June 2026—participants explored themes such as strategic monitoring, geopolitical analysis, and risk assessment. The training combined lectures with interactive simulations to reinforce learning outcomes.
The initiative is set to improve Burkina Faso’s ability to identify emerging threats and produce actionable analyses for government decision-making. Organizers confirmed plans to extend this training model through additional sessions, ensuring sustained capacity-building within the diplomatic corps.
The workshop marks a pivotal step in modernizing Burkina Faso’s diplomatic strategy, aligning national foreign policy with evolving global realities. Collaboration between defence experts and higher education professionals was cited as a key factor in its anticipated success.
