Burkina Faso guide
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| Child in Burkina Faso © Geoff Sayer / Oxfam Great Britain |
Burkina Faso illustrates the debate about development in Africa with painful clarity. A strong case can be argued that the country’s desperate poverty is caused by factors beyond the control of its own government. Exports of the dominant cash crop are undermined by unfair US cotton subsidies, local industries are run down by rules imposed by international financial institutions and shoestring agriculture is threatened by climate change. Such a perspective insists that these are the issues obstructing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in Burkina Faso and beyond.
updated January 2009
Poverty in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. The 2008 UN Human Development Index places it 173rd out of the 179 countries listed, with over 70% of the population living on less than $2 a day. Many key development indicators are falling behind, even in relation to the average for Africa, and progress is hampered by high population growth of 3% pa.
The poverty benchmark adopted for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) stood at 44.5% in 1994 but has remained stubbornly in excess of 40%, defying efforts to halve the rate by 2015. Literacy is another area failing to respond to investment, the rate for the 15-24 age group being as low as 39% in 2007. The ratio of girls to boys enrolling in primary education is below 80% and completion rates are very poor. The government now provides free education in 45 priority provinces, an initiative which may be extended to all regions by 2011.
A "needs assessment" for the MDGs conducted in 2007 suggested that an investment of $200 per capita of population is required every year until 2015. Delivery of development programmes has been slowed by the capacity limitations of government institutions. For their part, the global donor agencies are devoting more efforts to combining their aid programmes in order to increase efficiency of implementation.
Health and HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso
An example of this joint aid resolve is the massive $1.2 billion commitment to water and sanitation by a consortium of development banks and bilateral agencies. Whilst there has been progress in the provision of safe water, about a quarter of the population lacks access. Sanitation has been seriously neglected and coverage remains under 30%.
The donors have clearly identified this sector as a foundation for stabilising the chronic health problems experienced in Burkina Faso. Over 5 million cases of malaria were reported in 2007, creating disproportionate demand on limited health services and causing the greatest number of deaths. Emergency vaccination programmes feature at regular intervals in response to threatened outbreaks of polio, meningitis and yellow fever.
Rates of maternal and child mortality remain unacceptably high and the slow pace of improvement is far below that necessary to attain the MDG targets. For example, according to the World Bank, infant mortality fell from 107 only to 96 deaths per thousand births in the decade to 2005. A major cause is acute malnutrition which affected over 35% of children aged under five in 2007. A fifth of new mothers are themselves malnourished and only 56% of mothers had qualified assistance in giving birth in 2007.
The target to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS is the MDG for which Burkina Faso has demonstrated the most success. Prevalence fell to 2.7% in 2006, almost half the rate in 2003. Strategies to fight the disease have included co-operation with traditional healers whose influence in their respective communities makes them essential partners. Nevertheless, widespread poverty and illiteracy will continue to threaten the advances that have been made. Prevalence in the capital, Ouagadougou, is over double the national average. The strategic plan for 2006-2010 has the ambitious target of providing antiretroviral treatment to 90% of those in need.
Food Security in Burkina Faso
Whilst the incidence of child malnutrition does not correlate precisely with the availability of food, the haphazard track record of Burkina Faso’s food security is nevertheless a major factor. With 80% of the population engaged in subsistence rain-fed agriculture, the country is greatly dependent on predictable and steady rainfall. As in most of West Africa, reality rarely meets this need as the Burkinabes suffer a succession of floods and drought which create serious food shortages.
In 2007 the country experienced 8 major floods in the rainy season with inevitable results for the harvest. Forced to spend around three-quarters of their incomes on food, households were in no position to cope with the increase in prices that occurred during the first half of 2008. Urban poverty increased and food riots broke out in Ouagadougou and other cities. A coalition of trade unions and community groups organised a national strike. The government responded by reducing import and sales taxes, an approach criticised by the IMF which favours more direct support such as school feeding and reduced fees for health and education.
In 2008 nature has been much kinder and the government itself reversed its policy of non-intervention in agriculture. Harvests yielded a substantial surplus over domestic needs. Rice production was three times that of the previous year. Prices in markets have fallen considerably but remain well above the levels prior to the 2008 crisis. It is too early to assess the impact on poverty but the government promises to continue its support for farmers in the shape of subsidised seed and fertilizer.
Climate Change in Burkina Faso
The potential climate footprint of the rich on the poor is nowhere better illustrated than in Burkina Faso. The 2008 review of the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) refers to the “persistent vulnerability of many households to climate and price shocks”. There is already evidence of increasing frequency of extremes of flooding and drought. The National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) envisages that gradual temperature rise in the period to 2050 will result in net reduction in rainfall, less availability of water, a loss of crop production and drastic loss in pasture due to desertification.
The NAPA suggests that the priorities for adaptation are improved prediction of extreme weather events and investment in irrigation. The government already sponsors mass tree planting schemes in an attempt to counter the desertification that results from extensive clearance of forested areas for household purposes.
The Economy in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is landlocked, chronically short of power, and over-dependent on cotton as the key source of foreign exchange. As many as 3 million livelihoods may be linked directly or indirectly to the crop whose fortunes are highly vulnerable to world commodity prices and foreign exchange rates. Cotton prices are volatile but have been broadly in decline since 2003 and in real terms are at their lowest level since the 1930s. This slump has acted as a brake on economic growth in Burkina Faso and hampered investment in the cotton industry.
The primary cause of global overproduction and weak cotton prices is the US government's persistence in paying subsidies to cotton farmers which at around $2 billion pa are of similar order to the entire public expenditure of the Burkina Faso government. Although the World Trade Organisation has upheld a protest from Brazil against unfair subsidies, the US has prevaricated over implementation of the ruling. Desperate for higher prices and yields, the Burkinabe farmers are experimenting both with organic cotton and with genetically modified seeds, the two strategies inevitably raising difficult conflicts of interest.
Burkina Faso has been a slave to the economic prescriptions of the World Bank and IMF and, by the benchmarks of these institutions, has a stable economy with satisfactory rates of growth and inflation. Debt is also under control thanks to the debt cancellation package announced at the July 2005 G8 summit. Nevertheless, Burkina Faso remains highly dependent on foreign aid which accounts for almost half of the government's budget.
Politics in Burkina Faso
Under its previous name of Upper Volta, the country gained independence from France in 1960. The name Burkina Faso translates as "land of honest men" and was bestowed by Thomas Sankara, the country's charismatic leader who took power in 1983 in one of a succession of post-independence coups. Sankara pursued a radical socialist agenda until he was overthrown and killed during the coup which ushered in the current president, Blaise Campaoré, in 1987.
For many years the Campaoré government permitted little more than token gestures to democracy and Burkina Faso was regarded internationally as a refuge for West African perpetrators of crime and violence. Political opposition to Campaoré stiffened considerably following the murder in 1998 of Norbert Zongo, a prominent journalist and government critic. A number of democratic reforms were brought in to appease public anger - these included the use of a simple ballot form to benefit opposition parties. Nevertheless, in the 2007 elections for the National Assembly, the ruling party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP), won a dominant 73 out of 111 seats.
Campaoré has polished up his international image through acceptance of economic discipline and participation in regional conflict resolution. He enjoyed a landslide victory in the presidential election in November 2005 despite protests that he was standing yet again. The courts had ruled that a 2000 constitutional amendment limiting the head of state to two terms should not be applied retrospectively. The president has powers of making key appointments, including the prime minister, currently Tertius Zongo.
The constitution provides for the participation of civil society in Burkina Faso by guaranteeing the freedom to form associations, including trade unions. Representatives sit on the Independent National Electoral Commission and were involved in preparation of the PRSP.
Human Rights in Burkina Faso
Amongst international human rights observers, Burkina Faso has been unable to shake off the disquiet over the unresolved 1998 murder of Norbert Zongo. Despite the naming of six suspects by an independent commission of inquiry, subsequent investigations have been marred by gross irregularities and no prosecutions have been completed. Attempts during 2007 by local media to disclose the possible implication of the president's brother resulted in charges of libel against the editors concerned.
Burkina Faso is an integral component of West African networks of child trafficking. New legislation has imposed tougher penalties but convictions are notoriously difficult to secure. Law enforcement is also problematic in attempts to end the practice of female circumcision, for which the country is credited as one of the first in Africa to introduce a legal ban. However, despite extensive campaigning led by the wife of the president, the culture is deeply entrenched and possibly about 50% of women continue to suffer this cruelty. Broader aspirations of gender equality are far from fulfilled; the 34 member cabinet contained a single woman in 2008.
Conflict in Burkina Faso
Tensions with neighbouring Ivory Coast date back to the 2002 outbreak of internal violence there between rebels in the north and the government. A long-established and substantial Burkinabe migrant population found itself targeted by both sides and half a million people fled back to Burkina Faso whose government was accused by Ivory Coast of supporting the rebels. In the event it was Campaoré who mediated an agreement in 2007 between the Ivorian factions, creating an uneasy but enduring end to violence.
The OneWorld Burkina Faso Guide was first published in September 2005 with a text written by Volunteer Editor Kpakpo Brown
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| Out-of-school children in Burkina Faso © UNESCO - Communication, Information and Informatics Sector |
The poverty benchmark adopted for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) stood at 44.5% in 1994 but has remained stubbornly in excess of 40%, defying efforts to halve the rate by 2015. Literacy is another area failing to respond to investment, the rate for the 15-24 age group being as low as 39% in 2007. The ratio of girls to boys enrolling in primary education is below 80% and completion rates are very poor. The government now provides free education in 45 priority provinces, an initiative which may be extended to all regions by 2011.
A "needs assessment" for the MDGs conducted in 2007 suggested that an investment of $200 per capita of population is required every year until 2015. Delivery of development programmes has been slowed by the capacity limitations of government institutions. For their part, the global donor agencies are devoting more efforts to combining their aid programmes in order to increase efficiency of implementation.
Health and HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso
An example of this joint aid resolve is the massive $1.2 billion commitment to water and sanitation by a consortium of development banks and bilateral agencies. Whilst there has been progress in the provision of safe water, about a quarter of the population lacks access. Sanitation has been seriously neglected and coverage remains under 30%.
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| Burkina Faso: vaccinations for meningitis ©MSF |
Rates of maternal and child mortality remain unacceptably high and the slow pace of improvement is far below that necessary to attain the MDG targets. For example, according to the World Bank, infant mortality fell from 107 only to 96 deaths per thousand births in the decade to 2005. A major cause is acute malnutrition which affected over 35% of children aged under five in 2007. A fifth of new mothers are themselves malnourished and only 56% of mothers had qualified assistance in giving birth in 2007.
The target to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS is the MDG for which Burkina Faso has demonstrated the most success. Prevalence fell to 2.7% in 2006, almost half the rate in 2003. Strategies to fight the disease have included co-operation with traditional healers whose influence in their respective communities makes them essential partners. Nevertheless, widespread poverty and illiteracy will continue to threaten the advances that have been made. Prevalence in the capital, Ouagadougou, is over double the national average. The strategic plan for 2006-2010 has the ambitious target of providing antiretroviral treatment to 90% of those in need.
Food Security in Burkina Faso
Whilst the incidence of child malnutrition does not correlate precisely with the availability of food, the haphazard track record of Burkina Faso’s food security is nevertheless a major factor. With 80% of the population engaged in subsistence rain-fed agriculture, the country is greatly dependent on predictable and steady rainfall. As in most of West Africa, reality rarely meets this need as the Burkinabes suffer a succession of floods and drought which create serious food shortages.
|
| 2008 food price riots in Burkina Faso © Brahima Ouedraogo / IRIN News |
In 2008 nature has been much kinder and the government itself reversed its policy of non-intervention in agriculture. Harvests yielded a substantial surplus over domestic needs. Rice production was three times that of the previous year. Prices in markets have fallen considerably but remain well above the levels prior to the 2008 crisis. It is too early to assess the impact on poverty but the government promises to continue its support for farmers in the shape of subsidised seed and fertilizer.
Climate Change in Burkina Faso
|
| Cotton farmers in Burkina Faso © Brahima Ouedraogo / United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network |
The NAPA suggests that the priorities for adaptation are improved prediction of extreme weather events and investment in irrigation. The government already sponsors mass tree planting schemes in an attempt to counter the desertification that results from extensive clearance of forested areas for household purposes.
The Economy in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is landlocked, chronically short of power, and over-dependent on cotton as the key source of foreign exchange. As many as 3 million livelihoods may be linked directly or indirectly to the crop whose fortunes are highly vulnerable to world commodity prices and foreign exchange rates. Cotton prices are volatile but have been broadly in decline since 2003 and in real terms are at their lowest level since the 1930s. This slump has acted as a brake on economic growth in Burkina Faso and hampered investment in the cotton industry.
The primary cause of global overproduction and weak cotton prices is the US government's persistence in paying subsidies to cotton farmers which at around $2 billion pa are of similar order to the entire public expenditure of the Burkina Faso government. Although the World Trade Organisation has upheld a protest from Brazil against unfair subsidies, the US has prevaricated over implementation of the ruling. Desperate for higher prices and yields, the Burkinabe farmers are experimenting both with organic cotton and with genetically modified seeds, the two strategies inevitably raising difficult conflicts of interest.
Burkina Faso has been a slave to the economic prescriptions of the World Bank and IMF and, by the benchmarks of these institutions, has a stable economy with satisfactory rates of growth and inflation. Debt is also under control thanks to the debt cancellation package announced at the July 2005 G8 summit. Nevertheless, Burkina Faso remains highly dependent on foreign aid which accounts for almost half of the government's budget.
Politics in Burkina Faso
Under its previous name of Upper Volta, the country gained independence from France in 1960. The name Burkina Faso translates as "land of honest men" and was bestowed by Thomas Sankara, the country's charismatic leader who took power in 1983 in one of a succession of post-independence coups. Sankara pursued a radical socialist agenda until he was overthrown and killed during the coup which ushered in the current president, Blaise Campaoré, in 1987.
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| President Blaise Campaoré of Burkina Faso © United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network |
Campaoré has polished up his international image through acceptance of economic discipline and participation in regional conflict resolution. He enjoyed a landslide victory in the presidential election in November 2005 despite protests that he was standing yet again. The courts had ruled that a 2000 constitutional amendment limiting the head of state to two terms should not be applied retrospectively. The president has powers of making key appointments, including the prime minister, currently Tertius Zongo.
The constitution provides for the participation of civil society in Burkina Faso by guaranteeing the freedom to form associations, including trade unions. Representatives sit on the Independent National Electoral Commission and were involved in preparation of the PRSP.
Human Rights in Burkina Faso
Amongst international human rights observers, Burkina Faso has been unable to shake off the disquiet over the unresolved 1998 murder of Norbert Zongo. Despite the naming of six suspects by an independent commission of inquiry, subsequent investigations have been marred by gross irregularities and no prosecutions have been completed. Attempts during 2007 by local media to disclose the possible implication of the president's brother resulted in charges of libel against the editors concerned.
Burkina Faso is an integral component of West African networks of child trafficking. New legislation has imposed tougher penalties but convictions are notoriously difficult to secure. Law enforcement is also problematic in attempts to end the practice of female circumcision, for which the country is credited as one of the first in Africa to introduce a legal ban. However, despite extensive campaigning led by the wife of the president, the culture is deeply entrenched and possibly about 50% of women continue to suffer this cruelty. Broader aspirations of gender equality are far from fulfilled; the 34 member cabinet contained a single woman in 2008.
Conflict in Burkina Faso
Tensions with neighbouring Ivory Coast date back to the 2002 outbreak of internal violence there between rebels in the north and the government. A long-established and substantial Burkinabe migrant population found itself targeted by both sides and half a million people fled back to Burkina Faso whose government was accused by Ivory Coast of supporting the rebels. In the event it was Campaoré who mediated an agreement in 2007 between the Ivorian factions, creating an uneasy but enduring end to violence.
The OneWorld Burkina Faso Guide was first published in September 2005 with a text written by Volunteer Editor Kpakpo Brown
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