The winning group of the dance competition
This 5th edition placed under the theme: “Prevention and resolution of conflicts, factor of social cohesion” made it possible to instruct the various Lobis leaders on their role in the management of conflicts to maintain social cohesion. And above all to make these guardians of habits and customs true artisans of peace. The objective sought, led the Chiefs to invest in strengthening cohesion and consolidating the values of unity and fraternity.
The Djokhabinan or the millet festival, a conception of President Philippe Hien
Moreover, the reason behind this mass displacement of the Lobi from Côte d’Ivoire to their regional capital is essentially in this month of May, the “Djokabinan”, or even the millet festival which is in its fifth edition. Initiated by the President of the Bounkani Regional Council, Philippe Hien, this meeting is also a great moment of gathering of Lobis from Burkina Faso and Ghana. “Our people are looking for and what we need, our cohesion. These people have gone through the most difficult times in their history,” said the Honorable Koulanfirté Sansan Noufé, MP for Doropo who represented the President of the Regional Council. And to clarify that the Lobi was a small group of people lost somewhere in the northwest of Ghana. “Our ancestors fought. They bled themselves. We crossed the border to be in the South-West of Burkina Faso and today in the North-East of Côte d’Ivoire. The lobi transcends borders,” he argued. “This is why, he will say, around this festival called Djokabinan we do not speak of nationality or country. Rather, we are talking about a people and a family, namely the Lobi family. »
The Djokhabinan is a call to the Lobi people to combine solidarity in order to perpetuate their culture. Besides, the honorable Koulanfirté Sansan Noufé indicated that a people without culture is a people who are destined to disappear. “But the lobi must not disappear and cannot disappear,” he insisted.
Crowned heads from Ghana and Burkina Faso
Settlement of conflicts between farmers and herders
For this 5th edition, an important delegation led by the Chief Canton of Gaoua, in Burkina Faso, His Majesty Oussé Albert made the trip to Bouna. This delegation thus took part in the festivities of the millet festival. These festivities revolved around several activities, namely a conference on the theme: “Institutional mechanisms for the management of farmer-herder conflicts”, presented by the Regional Director of Animal and Fishery Resources of Bounkani, Mr. Kanga Armand. He presented the regulatory protocol for disputes between breeders and farmers, the legal provisions defined by the State. He dwelt on the role of the village committees led by the village chiefs. “The primary mission of this commission is to seek consensus, that is to say an amicable settlement as soon as there are cases of crop damage. It’s about making sure the protagonists can get along,” he said. And this, to prevent this situation from leading to a conflict between communities. He also insisted on the role of village chiefs who have been made aware of this regulatory mechanism and on the importance of their role in preventing conflicts.
About the extent of the conflict between farmers and herders, Mr. Kangah said that this is a real problem in the Bounkani region. “Since my arrival in this region, not a day goes by that we are not challenged (…) Today what needs to be done is to take the lead in raising awareness of a great scale all actors”, advocated Mr. Kanga.
The Honorable Koulanfirté Sansan Noufé, MP for Doropo
The Central Chief of the Lobis of Côte d’Ivoire, Sib Virkouné, King Gan in Burkina Faso, the Chief of Diebougou in Burkina Faso, the Chief of Dano in Burkina Faso and the Chief of the Lobis of Ghana moderated a panel on the theme : “Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms among the peoples of the Lobi branch”. It was a question through this panel of sticking to the idea of the thinker according to which, the culture is what makes of the man other than an animal of nature. According to deputy Koulanfirté Sansan Noufé, it is because we refuse to be animals of nature that we have decided not only to preserve but to improve and perpetuate our culture for generations to come.
During these two days of activities, we traveled in the Lobi universe through archery competitions, traditional dance and culinary art.
The 5th edition of the Djokhabinan, it was also this sketch, executed in the Lobi language, entitled “Schooling of children and establishment of administrative documents” which, to the applause meter, was very appreciated by the public.
Millet is something sacred in Lobi country
The transformation that peoples have undergone with population twinning has led them to adopt practices that they did not originally have. The lobi has learned to grow yams but he does not celebrate the yam festival. “That’s why you won’t hear about a yam festival in Lobi country,” noted the elected representative of the Republic.
Continuing, he explained that originally millet is the cereal that the lobi have as a culture. “Millet is something sacred in the Lobi. So much so that each year when the Lobi peasant finishes harvesting the millet, he has to make sacrifices. At the limit even make a festive ceremony before authorizing his family to consume the millet. If by chance this millet is marketed or consumed without this ceremony, death will follow”.
Senator Kambiré Sié launched the archery competition.
A people who ignore the borders resulting from colonization
“The Lobi, will say the Honorable Sansan Nouffé, is a people who ignore the borders resulting from colonization”. It should be noted that the Lobi see themselves as a people living in a given territory, but note that this territory is initialed by colonial borders. “This is why the Lobi are found in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire,” insisted our interlocutor. And to correct: “We often hear people say that the lobi migrated from Burkina Faso to Côte d’Ivoire. This is not necessarily true. The lobi above all comes from Ghana. He later became Burkinabè and Ivorians afterwards. It is all of these people hidden in the three territories who have decided to meet in Bouna.
In the pure tradition of the Lobi people, the Djokhabinan is also the archery competition. The 2022 edition of this competition was won by Hien Donald from Burkina Faso. Hien Vonhité and Some Helkithé who arrived respectively in 3rd and 2nd position were also rewarded. Regarding the culinary competition, seven women were in competition to concoct the “Sinsinbìr” sauce. At the end of this event, Kambou Audrey won the first prize. Regarding the traditional dance competition, it was the young Dieudonné and his group who got all the members of the jury to agree on their mastery.
Bouna was to the sound of the balafon lobi
The same Lobi people in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Ghana
For two days, therefore, the city of Bouna was at the rhythm of the Lobi culture. All of which explains the satisfaction of the delegations from Ghana and Burkina Faso. “We have come to testify that we will always be available and active to support you,” said the Lobi leaders of Burkina Faso and Ghana. And to add: “We are very happy, happy and proud of our Lobi brothers from Côte d’Ivoire. It is satisfied that we are going to go back to our different countries. We are fighting the same struggle because we are one people”.
Millet, a sacred cereal among the Lobi
Continuing, they will say: “We will always be available and active at your side to accompany you for anything. What you do honors us and our culture will be perpetuated. Let’s teach our children to be proud to assume and eventually tell anyone that they are lobi. »
