The National Centre for Strategic Studies (CNES) kicked off a three-day training workshop on Monday, June 8, 2026, in Ouagadougou. Aimed at 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 Permanent Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Ouaga 2000.
The main goal of the gathering is to strengthen the skills of about thirty experts, ambassadors, and technical advisors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a rapidly changing global context, organizers aim to equip participants with modern tools to better anticipate crises and guide policy decisions.
Over three days of work, from Monday June 8 to Wednesday June 10, 2026, participants will explore topics such as strategic monitoring, geopolitical analysis, and risk assessment. The training combines theoretical lectures with practical exercises, including drafting operational briefing notes.
Brigadier General Barthélémy Aimé Simporé, Director General of CNES, noted that this initiative responds to governance needs. He explained the current challenges: ‘Power rivalries are being reshaped, security crises are becoming more complex, and strategic uncertainties now impose themselves as a permanent feature of the international environment,’ he stated.
He further stressed that the goal is no longer simply to react to crises, but to build a genuine forecasting capacity for the country.
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 also emphasized the importance of this upgrade for public administration. ‘Classic fundamentals are increasingly being challenged, and our experts must regularly update their skills. We need to train experts who can understand the international geopolitical environment,’ he confided.
This training, a first for the department, is expected to lead to better identification of emerging risks and the production of more direct analyses for the authorities. Organizers indicated that additional sessions will be scheduled in the future to ensure the continuity of this capacity building.
This workshop marks a step forward in modernizing national diplomatic action, aligned with the authorities’ guidelines. According to participants, sharing experiences with defense and higher education experts will ensure the success of this activity.
