Big Promises at the Opposition Election Rally in Burkina Faso

A Political Rally Full of Cheer

Activists and supporters of the epi and daba party of Kadiogo showed up in large numbers on Thursday to rally behind their preferred presidential candidate for the Burkinabé election, Eddie Komboïgo, a wealthy accountant standing for 2014 ousted president Blaise Compaore's Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) political party. The impassioned Eddie Komboïgo proclaimed to the crowd he turned to cheer him on, "We have lost power on the streets, but we have returned to win back power at the voting ballots."

Presidential Campaign Promises

Komboïgo, if elected, promises to begin with national reconciliation — in which he will bring back the 2014-ousted president Compaoré to take part. Many people present at the rally felt inspired and hopeful. Zoubga Ramatou, a CDP party voter, shared her stance on the charged moment, "Eddie is someone who knows how to plan, someone who has democracy in mind. He's someone who can bring people together. When he is elected, there will be security. And even now, we are hungry. I think that with Eddie there, the best is yet to come."

Other promises Komboïgo made to his following include economic recovery, improving the education sector and an end to the anti-jihadist insurgencies — a trending campaign topic in the country which has seen the loss of thousands of Burkinabé lives to violence from Islamist extremists in the last few years.

National Insecurity

Describing the current security situation in Burkina Faso as "macabre," Eddie Komboïgo did not hold back on his criticisms of its perceived-mishandling, “At this point, I speak from the heart, this must stop. For five years we have not been able to repel our attackers. And they keep saying, we're going to flex our muscles. Of course, they are not your children. These are not children who are going to war. They are soldiers. Yes, patriotic soldiers."