(Baporo, April 22, 2026). In the contemporary history of Burkina Faso, this is a first. In Africa and the rest of the world, it is an extremely rare occurrence, according to prison authorities: a sitting head of state visiting a prison. Captain Ibrahim TRAORE did just that on April 22, 2026. En route to Bobo-Dioulasso for the 22nd edition of National Culture Week (SNC), the President of Burkina Faso and Head of State, His Excellency Captain Ibrahim TRAORE, made a stop at the Baporo Agricultural Penitentiary Center (CPAB) in Sanguie Province, Nando Region.
It is an open-air prison where inmates engage in agricultural and pastoral production activities.
At the start of the visit, a 40-hectare cornfield cultivated by the inmates in the middle of the dry season was shown to the Head of State, who took the opportunity to outline his vision for the prison system: “Prison must be humane. We are a society; we are not barbarians; we are not violent. We are an African society, and in Africa, respect for human beings is something deeply ingrained in us. So no matter what situation a person finds themselves in, they must be treated with a minimum of respect,” emphasized the Head of State.
According to the President of Burkina Faso, the introduction of community service sentences aligns with the vision of enabling inmates to work for the nation, receive training, and learn a trade. “We do not want our prisons to look like those of the imperialists. We have decided to humanize our prisons (…) and we will reduce the number of our prisons and concentrate them in production areas like this one,” said Captain Ibrahim TRAORE.
The Head of State urged the inmates to stay positive and to learn. “The Ministry of Justice will support you so that you can become the model citizens of tomorrow,” the Head of State reassured them.
A modern two-story building for CPAB inmates
In Baporo, the Head of State’s vision for the humanization of prisons is already taking shape with the construction of a two-story building. According to Justice Minister Rodrigue Edasso BAYALA, the building, which cost approximately 500 million CFA francs, includes all the amenities necessary to preserve human dignity in detention. With a capacity of 500 beds, this facility increases the Center’s capacity and significantly improves detention conditions, leading to better rehabilitation outcomes for inmates.
“We thank Comrade President of Burkina Faso for all his contributions to our country. We also thank him for passing the law on community service, which allows us to work, stay healthy, and reduces our sentences. This is a great blessing for us inmates,” acknowledged the representative of the CPAB inmates.
As an agricultural prison, the CPAB produced 240 tons in 2025, and for 2026, the center aims to cultivate more than 300 hectares for an expected yield of 782.5 tons.
This milestone will be etched in gold in the memories of the inmates and staff of this open-air detention center, established in 1986 under the leadership of Captain Thomas SANKARA.
Communications of the Presidency of Burkina Faso
