The first special contingent of Water and Forestry Services, named Lana-y'a, which means "trust" in the Dioula language, has been deployed in Burkina Faso, according to a press release from the Burkinabe Government Information Service.
The group consists of 1,938 forestry officers, including 1,052 men and 886 women, the press release said.
"You are now key players in the effort to regain the integrity of the national territory and respond to the humanitarian crisis," declared Prime Minister Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo, who presided over the group's graduation ceremony on March 22 in Bobo-Dioulasso.
After 18 months of training at the National School of Water and Forestry, these officers will be deployed in the field to secure the forests.