On December 16, Ambassador Andrew Young traveled to the Loumbila camp to attend the graduation ceremony of the Badenya 5 battalion. The Badenya 5 battalion received a few months training as part of the United States ACOTA program and is now ready for deployment. Ambassador Young praised the memory of the 12 soldiers killed during the recent attack on the Nassoumbou military station and encouraged the Burkinabe soldiers well-known in Mali for their good character and professionalism. He also saluted the excellent military cooperation between the United States and Burkina Faso and said that “Burkina Faso’s commitment to peacekeeping in Africa echoes a convergence of visions between our nations regarding regional and international security “.
