Welcome from Ambassador Thomas Dougherty

Ambassador Thomas Dougherty

Welcome to the U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou website!

It is a great honor and privilege for me to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso.  Our team at the U.S. Mission in Ouagadougou is working to strengthen the U.S.-Burkinabé partnership through policies and programs that support Burkina Faso’s efforts to build strong democratic institutions, promote economic reform, encourage sustainable development, improve health and education, and foster regional stability.

The U.S. Mission works with Burkinabé at all levels of government and society.  The Millennium Challenge Corporation, with its Burkinabé partners, is implementing a five-year, $481 million Compact to reduce poverty by improving agriculture, rural land governance, roads, and education.  More than 140 Peace Corps volunteers live and work directly with Burkinabé in their villages in the areas of health, education, and small enterprise development.  USAID professionals oversee a wide range of programs in the areas of education, health care, agricultural development, and food security.  The Department of Defense and Burkinabé military are working together to build peacekeeping capabilities.  Staff from the Centers for Disease Control are helping Burkina Faso with vaccination programs and strengthening disease surveillance and evaluation.  U.S. Treasury experts work side-by-side with Burkinabé officials to implement program budgeting and improve revenue forecasts, both of which increase fiscal transparency.  Our consular section provides services to American citizens in Burkina Faso, and assists more than 4,000 non-immigrant visa applicants and 200 immigrant visa applicants a year.  Our economic section produces the Country Commercial Guide that provides information on the Burkinabé market and economy to potential U.S. investors.

As this multi-faceted relationship between the United States and Burkina Faso continues to grow, we hope you will use this virtual information space to learn more about the United States.  Via this website, visitors can learn about upcoming and recent U.S. Embassy events, conduct research on U.S. Government policy related to Burkina Faso and the region, and even pose individual questions to our librarians.

We also offer a number of services at various locations throughout Burkina Faso.  The American Library located at the U.S. Embassy in Ouaga 2000 offers free Internet access and lends more than 4,000 American books, resource materials, magazines, and films in English and French.  The American Cultural Center, located near the University of Ouagadougou, offers free Internet access as well as advising services to those seeking educational opportunities in the United States.  The American Cultural Center also hosts events, conferences, and concerts, and has several hundred books and periodicals to lend.  The American Language Center, located in the Samandin district (Sector 7), offers high-quality English language instruction to almost 500 students each quarter.  And finally, our American Corners in Bobo Dioulasso, Fada N’Gourma and Zorgho provide free computer access and training, English-language books, magazines, and films, as well as speakers, conferences and book clubs.

Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in the United States.

Sincerely,

Thomas Dougherty

Ambassador