The Political and Military Section
The Embassy's Political-Military Section advises and assists the Ambassador in communicating between the governments of the United States and Burkina Faso on political and military issues. The section also analyzes political and military developments in Burkina and implements programs in these areas on behalf of the U.S. Departments of State, Department of Defense, Treasury, Agriculture, and Commerce, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in Washington. The section is involved in the following Political-Military activities:
Political-Military Officer Melanie Zimmerman is responsible for promoting democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights in Burkina Faso. The Embassy’s Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF) has recently been used to fund local NGO projects that promote women’s political participation, provide support for the government’s decentralization program, fund election monitoring groups, and raise awareness about female genital mutilation. The Political-Military Section is uses its contacts within the Government of Burkina Faso and civil society to complete congressionally mandated annual reports including, the Human Rights Report, The Trafficking in Persons Report, the International Religious Freedom Report. These reports can be found at : http://ouagadougou.usembassy.gov/govtreports.html.
The Political-Military section works to enhance cooperation with the Burkina Faso government on bilateral political issues and on multilateral political issues of mutual interest including democracy, combating corruption, defense, and regional security issues. The Political-Military section observes and analyzes political developments in Burkina Faso, by attending events, following local news, and interviewing governmental and non-governmental figures.
The Political-Military section also works to promote cooperation and partnership between Burkina Faso and the U.S. for military and regional security. The Political-Military Officer liaises between the Burkinabe Ministry of Defense and U.S. policy-makers. There are currently several cooperation programs, including the African Contingency Operations, Training and Assistance Program (ACOTA) which trains Burkinabe military for peace-keeping operations. The International Military and Education Training Program (IMET) provides training on a grant basis to military students from Burkina Faso. In addition to improving defense capabilities, IMET training exposes foreign students to U.S. professional military organizations and procedures and the manner in which military organizations function under civilian control. In addition to these programs, the Political-Military section works with Department of Defense (DOD) colleagues to manage Burkina Faso’s participation regional exercises, seminars, and conferences funded by DOD and aimed at increasing the capacity of Burkina Faso and other nations to promote regional peace and security.
The U.S. Military Command for Africa (AFRICOM), which will be fully operational by October 2008, will not substantially change U.S.-Burkina military or political cooperation and engagement. AFRICOM will work with U.S. Government agencies and international partners to ensure a sustained security engagement, promote local military capacity, and support a secure and stable African environment. To learn more about AFRICOM , click here.