Geography of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) is a landlocked Sahel country that shares borders with six nations. It lies between the Sahara desert and the Gulf of Guinea, south of the loop of the Niger River, mostly between latitudes 9° and 15°N (a small area is north of 15°), and longitudes 6°W and 3°E. The land is green in the south, with forests and fruit trees, and desert in the north. Most of central Burkina Faso lies on a savanna plateau, above sea level, with fields, brush, and scattered trees. Burkina Faso's game preserves—the most important of which are Arly, Nazinga, and W National Park—contain lions, elephants, hippopotamus, monkeys, common warthogs, and antelopes. Previously the endangered painted hunting dog, "Lycaon pictus" occurred in Burkina Faso, but, although the last sightings were made in Arli National Park, the species is considered extirpated from Burkina Faso. Tourism is not well developed.
Ablassé Ouedraogo
Ouédrago served first as Minister of Foreign Affairs for Burkina Faso from March 1994 to February 1999, then as Special Advisor to the President of Burkina Faso from February to November 1999. From these positions, he orchestrated the strategic reorientation of the country's foreign policy through the development and implementation of the concept of “development diplomacy.” This approach, on the one hand, enabled the channeling of greater resources toward development and stimulation of the local economy, and, on the other, helped raise the country's profile as a safe haven, solidifying Burkina Faso's place in the community of nations at global, continental and sub-regional levels. This allowed Burkina Faso to gain, among other notable achievements, the Presidency of the Organization of African Unity for the first time in 1998 – 1999. The country also has hosted numerous marquee international events, such as the Summit of Heads of State and Government of Africa and France in December 1996, the African Cup of Nations in February 1998, and the AU Summit of Heads of State and Government in July 1998, as well as other large ministerial conferences of various sectors.
Ouédrago also has been a major player in peace and development efforts throughout Africa, notably contributing to the resolution of the Tuareg rebellion in Niger and Mali, and helping to bring an end to conflicts in Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Burundi, as well as between Ethiopia and Eritrea during a particularly turbulent period.