OUR MEETING WITH PRESIDENT CAPT  IBRAHIM TRAORE- Fred M’membe

OUR MEETING WITH PRESIDENT CAPT TRAORE

On Friday morning, we had a meeting with Comrade Capt Ibrahim Traore, the President of Burkina Faso, at the Kosyam Palace in Ouagadougou.

President Capt Traore began by thanking us for coming from near and far to guide the youth, exchange ideas, and reflect on ways to give the revolution a lasting foundation.

He emphasized that in the struggle we are engaged in, there are only two camps: that of the oppressors and that of the oppressed. President Capt Traore further stressed that neutrality does not exist in this fight; those who claim to be neutral have either forgotten to turn on their brains or are working, consciously or not, for our enemies.

The President said that the most important achievement in the emancipation struggle we are waging today is the construction of an African consciousness. He thanked those who work tirelessly every day to awaken minds and arm spirits and spread truthful information – reminding everyone that the enemy never gets tired of trying to poison and demoralize our people through fake news and disinformation. To win battles on the military front, on the political front, and on the mental front, we must have citizens and young people who are well-informed and well-educated, who know their history, who understand where we want to go, and who are aware of the geopolitical stakes of the current world.

He also told us that when Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro came to see him, he  congratulated him for speaking directly to the African people. President Maduro told him that, in his time, Comandante Hugo Chavez used to speak to the Venezuelan people every single day. And that one day, when someone asked Commandante Chavez why he did that, he replied that the people needed it because the enemy never misses an opportunity to poison them with lies.

President Capt Traore also shared with us the story of his  meeting with a young woman who, a few years ago, had wanted to start producing medical cotton for healthcare use. At the time, people had called her crazy and said her project was doomed to fail, and even confiscated her equipment and shut down her factory. His government has since given her the means to relaunch her project, and this morning, the factory was inaugurated.

The President recalled that the revival of the Institute of Black Peoples, which was originally created by President Thomas Sankara and later abandoned, must serve as a platform for all those committed to awakening consciousness. He said it should allow everyone to take part and make themselves available to help train as many Africans as possible, whether in person or online.

He once again thanked  us and wished us a safe journey back home.

Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party [Zambia]