The West Africa-based NGO Brooke welcomes the signing by the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, of Decree No. 2026/0826 regulating the slaughter, domestic movement and export of donkeys, camels and equids.
According to the organization, the decision strengthens measures to protect working animals and support the communities that depend on them.
Brooke West Africa welcomed the signing of the decree by the Burkinabè Head of State with “immense joy.”
According to its Director, Emmanuel Bouré Sarr, this new regulation represents an important step forward in preserving the donkey species and, more broadly, in protecting equids in Burkina Faso.
The presidential decree follows an interministerial order adopted in 2016. It therefore reinforces and strengthens the determination of the Burkinabè authorities to better regulate the slaughter, domestic movement and export of donkeys, camels and equids.
For Brooke West Africa, the adoption of this new regulatory framework must now be followed by broad dissemination among the stakeholders concerned, as well as effective implementation on the ground.
In this regard, the organization and its partners, notably Inades-Formation Burkina, the NGO APIL and the National Order of Veterinarians of Burkina Faso, have announced their commitment to supporting the authorities in disseminating and implementing the provisions of the decree.
This mobilization aims in particular to raise awareness among communities, value-chain stakeholders and the various actors involved about the new rules governing the slaughter, movement and export of the animals concerned.
“Together, let us preserve our donkeys and our animal resources” is the slogan launched by Mr. Emmanuel Sarr, who also welcomed the decision with satisfaction, having been committed for several years to defending equids, particularly the donkey species.
Through Brooke, a British organization committed to protecting the welfare and well-being of working animals in Africa, the West Africa Director intends to continue giving a voice to communities whose livelihoods depend largely on donkeys and horses.
“Together, let us preserve our donkeys; together, let us preserve our animal resources,” he sums up, emphasizing the need to reconcile animal protection, economic activities and the livelihoods of rural populations in Burkina Faso, where Brooke West Africa also works with veterinary services to help strengthen the management of equine and donkey diseases.
The organization also supports communities that depend on donkeys and working horses, focusing on improving the health, welfare and conditions under which these animals are used.
For Brooke West Africa, the signing of this decree therefore represents a major milestone. The challenge now is to turn this regulatory progress into concrete action on the ground, in order to better protect equids while safeguarding the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them.
Babacar Sene Agropasteur Journal