Burkina Faso: CNES equips foreign ministry experts with geopolitical foresight skills
On Monday, June 8, 2026, the National Centre for Strategic Studies (CNES) launched a three-day training workshop in Ouagadougou for senior officials and experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The session focuses on strategic intelligence and geopolitical forecasting. It is being held at the Permanent Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (SP-MAEP) in the Ouaga 2000 district.
The primary goal of this gathering is to sharpen the skills of about thirty experts, ambassadors, and technical advisors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Against a backdrop of rapidly shifting global dynamics, the organisers aim to equip participants with modern tools to better foresee crises and steer political decisions.
Over the three days from Monday, June 8 to Wednesday, June 10, 2026, participants will explore various themes including strategic monitoring, geopolitical analysis, and risk assessment. The training blends theoretical lectures with practical exercises, such as drafting operational summary notes.
Brigadier General Barthélémy Aimé Simporé, Director General of CNES, stated that this initiative addresses a governance necessity. He outlined the current challenges: “Power rivalries are reshaping, security crises are growing more intricate, and strategic uncertainties have become a permanent feature of the international environment.”
He further noted that the goal is no longer just reacting to crises but building a genuine predictive capacity for the country.
For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chief of Staff Dieudonné Désiré Sougouri welcomed the partnership with CNES. He emphasised that the ministry’s Strategic Analysis Bureau must continuously adapt its working methods to current realities.
“Traditional fundamentals are increasingly being challenged, and our experts must constantly upgrade their skills. We need to train specialists who can grasp the international geopolitical environment,” he shared.
This workshop, a first for the bureau, is expected to lead to improved identification of emerging risks and the production of more straightforward analyses for decision-makers. Organisers announced that similar sessions will be scheduled in the future to sustain this capacity-building effort.
This workshop represents a step forward in modernising national diplomatic action, in line with the authorities’ guidelines. Exchanging experiences with experts from the defence sector and higher education will ensure the success of this activity, according to the organisers.
