Around a hundred water and forestry agents from the second wave of the 2023 session are now military capable. The end of special initial military training ceremony took place on January 5, 2024 at the Ouézzin Coulibaly camp in Bobo-Dioulasso. Several personalities were present.
These new Water and Forestry agents come from the 63rd promotion. Ninety-six in total, the promotion is made up of four inspectors including one female inspector, thirteen controllers including three girls and seventy-nine assistants including fourteen assistants. It was on November 8, 2023 that they entered the Armed Forces Training Group (GIFA) of Bobo. The promotion delegate, Water and Forests inspector Dramane Kindo, remembers these moments. “Gathered this November 8 at 5:00 a.m. at the provincial environmental directorate of Houet, contrary to what some thought, it was a welcome from our forestry executives reserved for any forestry student. In two columns, bags on our backs, all in sneakers and under the guidance of our forestry managers, we took the path to GIFA after the induction training,” he says. He also added: “Our stay at GIFA was a non-stop period of sports, military maneuvers and weapons handling as well as exercises such as push-ups, ramps, commando rolls, mountain climbing. rope, jogging and many other things. On behalf of his comrades, Dramane Kindo expressed their deep gratitude to the GIFA corps chief as well as to all the instructors and supervisors thanks to whom they are equipped with skills and militarily ready to face all eventualities. According to the battalion chief, Yves Bambara, Commander of the GIFA, this training made it possible to instill a military spirit in the trainees, to toughen them up and improve their physical skills. “The difficult security situation marked by terrorist attacks that our country is facing requires adaptation of training modules to the said situation. Previous vintages of forestry trainees have benefited from this. The GIFA having a very appreciable return on the performance of the said promotions in securing the national territory, was duty-bound to renew these training modules for this promotion,” he said. This is why during their stay the 96 foresters were treated to modules on combat with motorcycles, reaction to ambush, awareness of improvised explosive devices and first aid in combat. Still in the same vein, underlines the GIFA Commander, “particular interest was given to the use of small collective weapons, to the mastery of basic defense techniques and those relating to close operational intervention without omitting practical sessions on road control, one of the daily missions of the Water and Forestry Corps. To the new foresters, he urged them to continue to carve out their careers through work, probity, loyalty and selfless service. The ceremony ended with a presentation of certificates to the most deserving trainees followed by a military parade.
Ousmane TRAORE
