Egypt has offered comprehensive counterterrorism support to Burkina Faso to combat insurgency in West Africa and the Sahel, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Tuesday during security and economic talks with his Burkinabe counterpart, Karamoko Traoré.
Meeting in Cairo, Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s commitment to tackling regional terrorism through a holistic strategy integrating security measures with development initiatives. He highlighted the central role of the Aswan Initiative for Peace and Development in the Sahel and called for deeper coordination with Sahel states, particularly during Burkina Faso’s presidency of the Confederation of Sahel States.
Traoré welcomed the offer, praising the joint cooperation in counter-terrorism, security and military training, and capacity-building programmes provided by Egyptian national institutions and Al-Azhar. He stated that Burkina Faso seeks to expand these frameworks and leverage Egyptian expertise to reinforce its national institutions.
In addition to security cooperation, Abdelatty invited Traoré to the sixth edition of the Aswan Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development, scheduled for November.
The diplomatic talks coincided with the Egyptian-Burkinabe Business Forum, which aimed to translate political relations into commercial investments, infrastructure projects, and job creation, building on a political consultation agreement signed in July 2025 and a previous business gathering in Ouagadougou. The forum was attended by senior officials, commercial representatives, Sherif El-Gabaly of the Egyptian parliament’s African Affairs Committee representing the Federation of Egyptian Industries, and Ali Ghamrawy, head of the Egyptian Drug Authority.
Abdelatty highlighted Egyptian corporate expertise in sectors prioritised by Burkina Faso, including infrastructure, construction, building materials, food processing, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, chemicals, fertilisers, agricultural machinery, energy, and mining. He noted that the launch of a direct flight route between both nations and direct communication between chambers of commerce would drive sustainable economic cooperation led by the private sector.
To strengthen broader economic ties, Abdelatty invited Burkinabe companies to participate in the Alamein-Africa Forum from Oct. 2-4 in El Alamein, a platform established by a recent African Union summit decision to host biennial intra-African trade events.
Traoré expressed his country’s commitment to offering a favourable investment climate for the Egyptian private sector, aiming to establish practical, long-term business partnerships and increase bilateral trade.
