Burkina Faso has become the 69th country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, a move which is warmly welcomed by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).
By endorsing the Declaration, which is an intergovernmental commitment to protect schools, universities, students, and teachers from attack in armed conflict, the government of Burkina Faso has joined 18 of its fellow African Union member states.
“The government of Burkina Faso has faced significant challenges in recent months, particularly in the northern Sahel region,” said Diya Nijhowne, GCPEA director. “Since the beginning of this year, according to UNICEF, armed non-state actors have threatened and attacked schools, the education of thousands of children has been interrupted, and at least one teacher has been killed.”