Off again

I have enjoyed my time in Rockville, so much and have found it difficult to prepare for departure this time.  The late fall/early winter has been mild and I have been taking frequent long walks with my two dachshunds along Lakes Frank, Needwood and the connecting Rock Creek Trail.  We've also walked around the path that rings the Rio Washingtonian shopping complex in Gaithersburg, and the one in Montgomery Village around the lake there.  Our shorter walks would be to the little Maryvale Park in Rockville.

And then the Christmas season, which included a visit to Baltimore's pre-Christmas Market, Christmas concerts at NPC [National Presbyterian Church] and Rockville's Civic Center [Rockville Chorus], and even a Christmas party at my own home.  It was fun bringing together people from different stages of my life.

at Union Station

Baltimore near Harbor Place

At a friend's house in North Bethesda

For a few weeks Burkina Faso seemed so far away... and my time spent there last spring seemed so very long ago.  But time presses on and now the time has come for me to return... Of necessity, my thoughts turn first to Paris, where I will stay for a week, and then Ouagadougou, where I will be for two months.

Much has happened recently.  For the past 6 weeks the French capital has been overrun with home-grown discontentment and violence.  The "gilets jaunes" movement, a populist, grassroots political movement for economic justice which began in France in mid-2018 has taken root.  By mid-November violent protests had erupted, primarily in the well-heeled sections of Paris, and the grievances continue... 

But what awaits in Burkina Faso is more bothersome. First I must preface this with a comment about a most worrying development.  Something observed more recently in news reporting of social problems is the mentioning of the ethnicities involved which has not been done in the past.  There are, after all, some 70 languages spoken, even though only a handful dominate. It is unsettling as Burkina Faso has always been a very tolerant country. Whereas up until now they would report "suspected militants attacked _" this has now become "Dogon attacking Fulani - many killed,", or "Mossi attacking Fulani", or "groups of Bella out in force." You can easily imagine where this could lead.  If you click on the following title link of a recent Reuters article, "Dozens killed in ethnic violence in Burkina Faso,"  you can read about some ethnic violence in the country.

In addition, another recent article appeared in The Week Magazine of India saying that "Burkina Faso is a new breeding ground for religious extremism" because "when President Blaise Compaoré’s 27-year-long rule came to an end in 2014, Lt. Col. Isaac Zida, a close aide of the former president, took over political and defense  duties. The sudden end of a stern regime and an unsuccessful coup attempt in 2015 meant Burkina Faso had let its guard down, at least temporarily. AQIM [Al Qaeda and the Islamic Magreb] and various other jihadist groups have capitalized on this opportunity." Although this article has been criticized for some inaccuracies, it illustrates that there are more recent problems of violence in the country, primarily near its borders with Mali and Niger.

If you recall my previous post, the map shows that most of this activity is occurring in the east, north and west of the country.  Ouagadougou, where I work, is situated pretty much in the the center. 

Well now I am again in Paris... we shall see what this season holds...