The National Centre for Strategic Studies (CNES) launched a three-day training workshop on Monday, 8 June 2026, in Ouagadougou, targeting senior officials and experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The session focuses on strategic intelligence and geopolitical foresight. It is being held at the premises of the Permanent Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (SP-MAEP) in Ouaga 2000.
The primary goal of this gathering is to strengthen the skills of around thirty experts, ambassadors, and technical advisors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a rapidly changing global context, the organisers aim to equip participants with modern tools to better anticipate crises and guide political decisions.
Over the three days, from Monday 8 to Wednesday 10 June 2026, participants will explore various topics including strategic monitoring, geopolitical analysis, and risk assessment. The training combines theoretical lessons with practical exercises, such as drafting operational briefing notes.
For Brigadier General Barthélémy Aimé Simporé, Director General of CNES, this initiative responds to a governance necessity. He explained the current challenges: “Power rivalries are reshaping, security crises are becoming more complex, and strategic uncertainties are now a permanent feature of the international environment,” he stated.
He also stressed that the aim is no longer merely to react to crises, but to develop a genuine forecasting capacity for the country.
On his part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by its Chief of Staff Dieudonné Désiré Sougouri, welcomed this partnership with CNES. According to him, the ministry’s Strategic Analysis Bureau must constantly adapt its working methods to current realities.
He highlighted the importance of this upgrade for public administration. “Traditional fundamentals are increasingly being questioned, and our experts need to update their skills each time. We must train experts capable of understanding the international geopolitical environment,” he confided.
This training, a first for this department, is expected to lead to better identification of emerging risks and the production of more direct analyses for the authorities. The organisers indicated that further sessions will be scheduled in the future to ensure the continuity of this capacity-building effort.
This workshop marks a step forward in modernising national diplomatic action, aligned with the authorities’ orientations. The sharing of experiences with defence and higher education experts will ensure the success of this activity, according to the actors.
