Burkina Faso – Germany: Chancellor Kellem tells the “truth” to the new German ambassador

The first meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Apollinaire Joachimsson Kelem de Tambela and the new Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Burkina Faso, Dietrich Becker, was conducted in a frank and friendly manner.

During this contact, the two people got to know each other and discussed several topics.

The diplomat said that within the framework of bilateral relations, Germany is involved in the field of vocational training and has trained several young Burkinabe people.

Regarding solar energy, the diplomat mentioned that this area requires commitment as it offers many possibilities.

In terms of culture, the head of government hopes that Germany will support activities such as SNC, FESPACO and SIAO.

Security issues were also discussed during the discussion, with the diplomats questioning the Russian presence on Burkina Faso territory.

In response, the Prime Minister said the support from Russia and other partners was due to the refusal of Western countries to help Burkina Faso.

“When we came to power, we asked for weapons from our traditional partners, but they refused to go with us, refused to support us in military training, and only the Russians blocked our weapons. The Chinese, the Turks… have agreed to help us. We have recognized our true friends in difficulties. When we buy weapons from Russia, we inevitably need Russian trainers to teach us how to use them, and that’s why they exist. Not just the Russians, but also the Chinese, the Turks, and so on. They work in specific areas, and we take what we think is good from each partner.”

For the new ambassador, Germany’s reluctance to sell arms has historical reasons.

“After the Second World War, we decided not to send German soldiers to war zones except within the framework of NATO. It would be difficult for us to send German troops to Africa or sell” the German public would not understand that this is not the place for us to wage war in Africa,” he explained.

In response to Ambassador Dietrich Becker’s remarks about terrorists using Russian weapons, the Prime Minister explicitly accused France of involvement.

“France could buy Russian weapons through middlemen and resell them to terrorists to divert attention from the fact that France offers weapons it does not produce, making people believe that France is not involved in the crisis,” he added.

The German ambassador said that Westerners have made many mistakes in history.

“It’s a bit tragic. We know the impact of colonialism is too great and we need to change,” he said.

He also invited Burkina Faso to resolve its relations with ECOWAS.

The Prime Minister could not have been clearer about this request: “We have left ECOWAS. We are now part of the AES alliance, which constitutes a huge market. We want Germany to be a reliable partner of the AES. We thank you for your support. “A policy of non-interference in the internal policies of States,” said Dr. Kyélem de Tambèla.

In return, the diplomat took note of the AES countries’ desire to organize into a federation.

“Burkina Faso’s sovereignty is sacred to Germany. It is the basis of our partnership. We respect Burkina Faso’s desire for sovereignty. Burkina Faso’s stability is in our interest,” said Germany’s new ambassador to Burkina Faso, Dietrich Becker.

DCRP/Primary