A few months ago, Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo presided over the launch of the “Revolutionary Youth on the Move” (JeRM) initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Youth and Employment. The event, held simultaneously across the entire country, was part of the commemoration of the first anniversary of the Progressive People’s Revolution (RPP), proclaimed on April 1, 2025, by the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Much more than a commemorative ceremony, JeRM is intended to be a lasting framework for civic and patriotic engagement, calling on the youth of Burkina Faso to fully commit to entrenching revolutionary ideals. The ceremony, combined with the monthly military tribute paid to Captain Thomas Sankara and his comrades, brought together the country’s highest authorities.
The Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Adjima Thiombiano, praised the youth as a “fundamental pillar of any drive for progress,” urging younger generations to draw inspiration from the values of integrity, sacrifice, and sovereignty embodied by the father of the August 1983 Revolution.
In his speech, the head of government noted that, one year after its proclamation, popular support for the RPP’s ideals remains immense, reflecting a collective awareness of the challenges of the day. He presented the minister in charge of communications with audiovisual awareness-raising materials designed to amplify this momentum among young people, particularly in the most remote areas.
The highlight of the ceremony was a five-kilometer public march that brought together the Prime Minister and young people mobilized to reject imperialism, foreign interference, neocolonialism, and the plundering of national resources. At the same time, in Koudougou, the governor of the Nando region echoed the same message, noting that the RPP represents a break with a past deemed detrimental to the sovereignty and social well-being of the Burkinabe people.
Across the country, this sporting and civic movement reflects a clear determination: to move beyond mere rhetoric and translate into action the commitment of a youth determined to devote themselves, body and soul, to Burkina Faso’s irreversible march toward a united, sovereign, and self-reliant future.
