(Ecofin Agency) - During the council of ministers held on December 28, 2016, the government of Burkina Faso, based on an alarming report from the Parliamentary investigation commission for urban land, said all illegally acquired and occupied lands will be recovered. Released last October 13, the report revealed that more than 105,000 plots of lands, in urban areas, had been fraudulently awarded between 1995 and 2015.

“Based on the recommendations of the parliamentary investigation commission regarding urban land, the council opted for the following measures : recovering all lands acquired illegally, and get associated property development companies to pay back all the money they have perceived illegally ; establish an inter-ministerial commission to monitor all urban land related liability-clearing activities ; establish a ad hoc commissions regionally to monitor activities of community commissions and districts ; establish commissions at community-levels and in districts which will handle liability-clearing in the urban land sector,” said the statement released after the council of ministers.  

The government also decided to “immediately initiate disciplinary proceedings against agents incriminated by the investigation report”. In this framework, the Minister of Justice, René Bagoro, relayed the report of the parliamentary investigation commission to general attorneys at the courts of appeal of Ouagoudougou and Bobo-Dioulasso.

Souha Touré