Kamandena forest supplies medicinal plants to local residents
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sidwaya
Kamandena’s 11-hectare forest, in the commune of Dédougou, is home to plants used by residents in traditional remedies. Herbalist Aboubacar Da describes the site’s resources; it has been preserved for several decades and is visited by people from neighbouring villages, according to Sidwaya.
In the village of Kamandena, in Burkina Faso, an 11-hectare forest provides medicinal plants for residents and people from neighbouring villages. Preserved for several decades at the initiative of a private individual, the woodland has become a place to collect leaves and bark, according to a report published in September 2026 by Sidwaya.
Herbalist Aboubacar Da says Olivier Paré’s forest reserve is rich in medicinal plants. Hundreds of tree species have been identified there, including African ebony, red gum, hardy kinkeliba and species known as “Sagba” in Dioula and “siiga” in Mooré.
The forest was called upon after Omar Sawadogo, a 27-year-old farmer, was bitten on the foot by a snake during the 2025-2026 farming season. His uncle, Amadoun Sawadogo, gathered leaves and bark there to make a decoction. Bibata Rouamba, a healer from Kamandena, says the young man resumed his activities after being treated with the plants.
Aly Coulibaly, the regional director of Water and Forests, says regional stakeholders in Bankui and Sourou are engaged in campaigns to plant medicinal plants. This private conservation effort is part of a national trend: President Ibrahim Traoré defended private enterprise in Burkina Faso on 27 September 2026.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
