KAPOK Project - Peace Initiatives in the Border Region of Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Ghana

Violence in the Sahel region is steadily increasing due to terrorist groups, organized crime, and inter-communal conflicts. Originally concentrated in Mali and Niger, it has now spread to the northern regions of the coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea via Burkina Faso.  

The increasing violence is also affecting the tri-border region of Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana. Together with our partner organizations Indigo Côte d'Ivoire and Conciliation Resources, we want to strengthen the resilience of communities against violence. Between 2022 and 2024, our partners conducted a comprehensive and participatory conflict analysis. The aim was to better understand the conflict dynamics and the potential for peace and to lay the foundations for locally designed initiatives.  

Since 2024, the KAPOK Peace Project - named after a locally growing tree species that often serves as a meeting place for communities - has been promoting dialog and trust at community level and between communities and local security actors. In addition, municipalities receive direct grants for smaller projects. The needs of the municipalities are passed on at regional level to key players, such as the border commissions of the three countries. This is intended to bring about sustainable change in the border region.