copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-04-07): Koalou or Kourou is a neutral zone between Benin and Burkina Faso[2] containing the villages of Koalou, Niorgou I, and Niorgou II.[3] The 68 km2 area of land is near the tripoint border with Togo and has been the subject of a dispute between the two countries for years. For Benin, the zone is part of the commune of Matéri in the department of Atakora; for Burkina Faso, the zone is part of the department of Pama in the province of Kompienga. The two countries chose to settle the issue peacefully in 2008 by removing all displayed symbols of sovereignty from both countries.[2] [...] See also [edit]References [edit]- ^ "Litige frontalier Burkina Faso-Bénin: Koalou, l'héritage de la discorde : Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative". citizenshiprightsafrica.org. Retrieved 2023-08-18. - ^ a b c d "Différend frontalier Burkina-Bénin : Kourou/Koalou déclarée zone neutre - leFaso.net". lefaso.net. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-27): On the border of Benin and Burkina Faso, the disputed Kourou-Koualou area hosts a wide-ranging market of illicit activities that fuel insecurity and help extremism spread south from the Sahel. [...] Koualou sits in the northwest corner of Atacora next to Pendjari National Park, the site of Benin’s first terrorist attack, which saw two French tourists kidnapped and their local guide killed in 2019. Extremists use Pendjari as a refuge, along with Arly National Park in Burkina Faso and W National Park in Niger. [...] The situation in Kourou-Koualou is complicated by the fact that both Benin and Burkina Faso claim the territory near the tripoint with Togo and jointly administer it. To reduce the chance of conflict, both countries have withdrawn their militaries. The lack of security has encouraged smuggling and related activities.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-31): Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, has a rich and complex history shaped by many cultural influences, colonial subjugation, and a determined struggle for independence. The history of Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, is a testament to the resilience and tenacity of its people, who have weathered centuries of external control and internal challenges to forge a path toward self-determination and nationhood. [...] The early 20th century saw further administrative restructuring within French West Africa. In 1919, the French authorities created a separate colony named Upper Volta (Haute-Volta), comprising territories from present-day Burkina Faso, parts of Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire. This decision was primarily driven by the need to improve administrative efficiency and facilitate the exploitation of the region’s agricultural potential, particularly in cotton production. [...] Independence and the birth of Burkina Faso
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-15): Regions of Burkina Faso [...] Burkina Faso is divided into 13 administrative regions. Each region is administered by a governor. [...] See also [edit]- List of regions of Burkina Faso by Human Development Index - Provinces of Burkina Faso - Departments/Communes of Burkina Faso - Geography of Burkina Faso - ISO 3166-2:BF
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-19): Le territoire de Koalou/Kourou se trouve sur la Frontière entre le Bénin et le Burkina Faso dans un méandre sur la rive droite de la rivière du Pendjari. À ce titre, il existe un différend territorial entre les deux pays sur l'appartenance de la zone Koalou/Kourou – de 68 km2, incluant les villages de Niorgou-I et Niorgou-II[3] – au Burkina Faso ou au Bénin. Pour le Burkina Faso, la frontière entre les deux pays est délimitée par la rivière Pendjari depuis le décret colonial le – conséquence de la Conférence de Berlin de 1884-1885 sur le partage de l'Afrique entre les puissances européennes – ; pour le Bénin, c'est l'administration française qui a défini par un arrêté la frontière en 1938 en la localisant sur le 11e parallèle Nord[4]. Voulant chercher une solution pacifique au contentieux frontalier, les présidents burkinabè, Blaise Compaoré, et béninois, Yayi Boni, ont saisi depuis la Cour internationale de justice (CIJ) pour régler le litige et déclaré la zone neutre dans l'intervalle[2].
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-11-29): The Colonial History of Burkina Faso The Colonial History of Burkina Faso - Patrick RoyerPatrick RoyerRensselaer Polytechnic Institute Burkina Faso has a remarkable history owing to repeated dissolution and reunification of its territory. Following the French colonial conquest in 1896, a military territory was established over a large part of what would become Upper Volta. In 1905, the military territory was integrated in the civilian colony of Upper Senegal and Niger with headquarters in Bamako. Following a major anticolonial war in 1915–16, the colony of Upper Volta with Ouagadougou as its capital was created in 1919, for security reasons and as a labor reservoir for neighboring colonies. Dismantled in 1932, Upper Volta was partitioned among neighboring colonies. It was recreated after World War II as an Overseas Territory (Territoire d’Outre-mer) within the newly created French Union (Union française). In 1960, Upper Volta gained its independence, but the nation experienced a new beginning in 1983 when it was renamed Burkina Faso by the revolutionary government of Thomas Sankara. The policies and debates that shaped the colonial history of Burkina Faso, while important in themselves, are a reflection of the larger West African history and French colonial policy.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-01-24): Burkina Faso: The Colonial Period [...] The region of present-day Burkina Faso was administered as part of the French colony of Soudan (then called Upper Senegal-Niger and now mostly part of Mali) until 1919, when it was made a separate protectorate as Upper Volta. In 1932, it was divided among Côte d'Ivoire, Soudan, and Niger for administrative convenience. In 1947, Upper Volta was reestablished as a separate territory within the French Union, and in 1958 it became an autonomous republic within the French Community. [...] See more Encyclopedia articles on: Burkina Faso Political Geography
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-10-05): Parts of the border remained contested on the ground, with several incidents in the disputed areas of Koalou and Niorgou sparking tension in the 2000s. As a result, the two countries signed an agreement in May 2009 which created a small neutral zone in the area, pending a final decision on the matter by the International Court of Justice.[6][7] [...] - ^ Le Burkina et le Bénin déclarent Koualou-Kourou zone neutre, Jeune Afrique, 20 May 2009, retrieved 1 December 2019 - ^ Différend frontalier Burkina-Bénin : Kourou/Koalou déclarée zone neutre, Le Faso, 22 May 2009, retrieved 1 December 2019 - ^ Two French tourists kidnapped, local guide killed in Benin, France 24, 5 May 2019, retrieved 2 December 2019 - ^ British FCO Travel Advice - benin, retrieved 1 December 2019 - ^ Butler, Stuart (2019) Bradt Travel Guide - Benin, pgs. 44
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): Burkina Faso,[a] officially the People's Republic of Burkina Faso,[14] is a landlocked country in West Africa,[6] bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,878 sq mi). In 2021, the country had an estimated population of approximately 23,674,480.[15] Previously called the Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), it was renamed Burkina Faso by former president Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabè,[b] and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou. [...] Rail transport in Burkina Faso consists of a single line which runs from Kaya to Abidjan in Ivory Coast via Ouagadougou, Koudougou, Bobo Dioulasso and Banfora. Sitarail operates a passenger train three times a week along the route.[194] [...] - ^ Mathieu Bonkoungou (17 October 2007). "Burkina Faso Salutes "Africa's Che" Thomas Sankara". Reuters.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-08-18): Koalou or Kourou is a neutral zone between Benin and Burkina Faso[2] containing the villages of Koalou, Niorgou I, and Niorgou II.[3] The 68 km2 area of land is near the tripoint border with Togo and has been the subject of a dispute between the two countries for years. For Benin, the zone is part of the commune of Matéri in the department of Atakora; for Burkina Faso, the zone is part of the department of Pama in the province of Kompienga. The two countries chose to settle the issue peacefully in 2008 by removing all displayed symbols of sovereignty from both countries.[2] Since 2009, the area has been administered by the Joint Committee for the Concerted Management of the Kourou/Koalou Area (COMGEC-K). The committee is composed of 14 members from each country and is led by two chairmen.[2] Due to the delicate legal situation of the area, there is a lack of security as both Burkinabe and Benin forces have deserted the area in order to avoid a diplomatic incident.[4] The hole left by the security forces has caused Koalou/Kourou to become an epicentre of an illicit cross-border fuel trade. It has also allowed for Al-Qaida-affiliated groups to operate gold mines in the area and tax smugglers.[5] The problem has been slightly reduced following a crackdown on the area by Beninese troops in 2023. However, it did not come without controversy from Burkina Faso.[5][6]
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-27): Geography of Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) is a landlocked Sahel country that shares borders with six nations. It lies between the Sahara desert and the Gulf of Guinea, south of the loop of the Niger River, mostly between latitudes 9° and 15°N (a small area is north of 15°), and longitudes 6°W and 3°E. The land is green in the south, with forests and fruit trees, and semi-arid in the north. Most of central Burkina Faso lies on a savanna plateau, 198–305 metres (650–1,001 ft) above sea level, with fields, brush, and scattered trees. Burkina Faso's game preserves – the most important of which are Arly, Nazinga, and W National Park—contain lions, elephants, hippopotamus, monkeys, common warthogs, and antelopes. Previously the endangered painted hunting dog, Lycaon pictus occurred in Burkina Faso, but, although the last sightings were made in Arli National Park,[1] the species is considered extirpated from Burkina Faso.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-06-14): Burkina Faso, with its total area of 105,900 square miles (274,200 square kilometers), sits landlocked in the heart of West Africa. It shares its borders with six other nations: Mali to the north and west, Niger to the east, and Benin to the southeast, while to the south it touches Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. [...] Burkina Faso's topography generally slopes from the north and west towards the south and east, creating a vast peneplain, a landscape that's been eroded nearly flat and punctuated by isolated hills, the highest of which is Tena Kourou at 2,451 feet (747 meters). The western and southwestern regions feature the most elevation, which is shown in the Banfora Escarpment's remarkable sandstone cliffs and scenic waterfalls. [...] Burkina Faso is a West African country located in the Northern Hemisphere region of the Earth. As it straddles the Prime Meridian, it has territories on both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. It borders six countries. These are Benin and Togo to the southeast, Niger to the east, Mali to the north and west, Ivory Coast to the southwest, and Ghana to the south. Being a landlocked country, Burkina Faso does not have a coastline.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-05-18): Elevation highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m mean elevation: 297 m [...] etymology: Ouagadougou is a Francophone spelling of the native name "Wogodogo," meaning "where people get honor and respect" [...] Burkina Faso-Benin: the two countries dispute sovereignty over a small area known as Kourou/Koalou near the tripoint with Togo, which has been declared a neutral zone pending settlement of the dispute; in 2009, an agreement to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice was signed, but no formal application has yet been made to the Court
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): Burkina Faso, landlocked country in western Africa. The country occupies an extensive plateau, and its geography is characterized by a savanna that is grassy in the north and gradually gives way to sparse forests in the south. [...] Burkina Faso is bounded by Mali to the north and west, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, and Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo to the south. [...] Apart from Ouagadougou, the principal towns are Bobo Dioulasso, Koudougou, Banfora, Ouahigouya, Pouytenga, and Kaya. Bobo Dioulasso, in the west, was the economic and business capital of the country when it formed the terminus of the railroad running to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on the coast. Since 1955, however, when the railroad was extended to Ouagadougou, Bobo Dioulasso has lost some of its former importance, although it remains a commercial centre.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-09-09): Until recently, counterterrorism experts discounted jihadists’ ability to expand into littoral West Africa because these states, unlike their Sahelian neighbors, were more politically stable and had greater control of their borders. According to this logic, the stronger security forces and governance structures in the littoral states made jihadism unwelcome. The complexity of the kidnapping and assassination operations indicated that the groups had a more permanent fixture in the WAP Complex and surrounding communities in Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso than previously believed. In particular, the ungoverned, disputed territory around the town of Koalou, at the intersection of these three countries, has become a safe space for jihadist movement and a staging area inaccessible to security forces. [...] Lack of coherent and transparent military operations is another reason why jihadism has managed to proliferate and expand outside the Sahel and into the littorals. Numerous multilateral missions have often failed to agree upon and communicate a centralized objective, leading to incoherent operations. The joint Ivorian-Burkinabe Operation Comoé in the spring of 2020 is an example. Disconnected policies and poor coordination between the two militaries led to failed intelligence sharing, followed by racketeering in the border area between the two states. Since these borders are porous, jihadists fleeing kinetic operations crossed into Côte d’Ivoire, settled, and subsequently carried out an attack in Kafolo once the dust had settled. Poorly coordinated operations inadvertently fan jihadists out across the region rather than containing their areas of control.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-06-24): HomeKoolau Weekender - 8x11 Matted Print (11x14) [...] Koolau Weekender - 8x11 Matted Print (11x14) [...] This print features your dream camp setup for trips to the Ko‘olau mountains. Mountain featured is the view across Kahana Bay.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2018-10-17): Located in three oceans and on four continents, France’s overseas territories give it a reach that extends far beyond its mainland borders and a unique global presence. Alongside their neighbors, these territories are suffering from the effects of climate change and the unique challenges of small, isolated island economies. In 2019, to effectively meet the specific needs of these territories and help them integrate into their regional basin, AFD adopted the Three Oceans strategy, in which the overseas territories form a bridge between France and their neighbors. With its unique, longstanding presence in these territories, AFD Group has the ambition of supporting their plans for sustainable development and helping strengthen their ties with their neighbors.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-06-03): Kourou/Koualou, a tiny village in a neutral zone straddling Benin and Burkina Faso, was the centre of a one-million-litre-a-year cross-border illicit fuel trade, a snapshot of a phenomenon that spreads far across the 6,000-kilometre-wide African Sahel region.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-13): More prolonged drought is making even the Koolau Mountains dry. VOA quoted Sam ’Ohu Gon III, senior scientist and cultural adviser at The Nature Conservancy in Hawaii, as saying the fact that this fire was on Oahu’s wetter, windward side is a "red flag to all of us that there is change afoot."
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-05-30): History reports are in English only
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-11-01): The introduction of systematic road checkpoints represented an attempted formalization of JNIM’s relationship with smugglers in Burkina Faso, which, in the earlier phase of their presence, was more informal and based on an ad hoc exchange of goods and services. However, it appears that the presence of both JNIM on the Burkinabé side and Beninois forces on the Benin side has discouraged the use of this road. Much of the smuggling that used to pass through the disputed town of Koalou/Kourou on the Burkinabé-Beninois border has therefore been diverted towards Cinkansé in Burkina Faso,10 a town bordering northern Togo that acts as a principal transit point for a myriad of illicit commodities both entering and exiting the country.11 JNIM has made use of checkpoints in other parts of Burkina Faso and Niger, although these are often focused on controlling road traffic, and do not always attempt to extract payments from road users.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-03): The origins and drivers of jihadist expansion towards north-western Benin lay in the ongoing governance and security crises in Burkina Faso. In 2014, Burkinabé President Blaise Compaoré was ousted by a popular uprising, leaving the state ill-equipped to provide basic services in the rural periphery. This vacuum was gradually filled by jihadist groups, such as JNIM, which began pushing into Burkina Faso via the northern border with Mali in 2015. As of mid-2023, these groups had established control over large swathes of Burkinabé territories in the north, south and east, slowly encircling the capital of Ouagadougou. [...] Alongside their involvement in farmer-pastoralist land disputes, the expansion of violent extremist groups is enabled by informal spaces. This occurs through partnerships with criminal organizations operating along the disputed Kourou-Koalou corridor between Kompienga in Burkina Faso and western Atakora in Benin. Protecting networks trafficking in illicit goods such as weapons, poached animals, and narcotics, jihadists extract supplies and payments. However, they also target informal sectors critical to the livelihoods of local people to entrench themselves politically. Fuel smuggling, known locally as kpayo, is a salient example. In a region lacking sufficient legal petrol stations, the informal fuel trade is essential to the livelihoods of communities existing along the Benin-Burkina Faso border. The toleration of jihadist control over the fuel trade maintained the affordability and availability of smuggled fuel, for both civilians and fighters. Such dynamics enable jihadist authority over informal, but sometimes critical, local economies which subvert state control and entrench them in local service provision.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-01): Elevation highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m mean elevation: 297 m [...] Country name conventional long form: none conventional short form: Burkina Faso local long form: none local short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta etymology: name translates as "Land of the Honest (Incorruptible) Men" [...] etymology: Ouagadougou is a Francophone spelling of the native name "Wogodogo," meaning "where people get honor and respect"
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-24): Published on 24 January 2024 in [...] These organisations exploit porous borders, a territorial dispute between Benin and Burkina Faso over the Kourou-Koalou area, local grievances against the state, a weak government presence and people’s need to protect their livelihoods.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-12-12): Along with an intelligence unit, the government has constructed eight military bases in strategic positions across the national parks. One of these fortresses is in Kourou-Koalou, a combination of its Beninese name, Kourou, and its Burkinabe name, Koalou. The frontier town sits at the border of Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo, known as "point triple," and soldiers mill around a huge base with four imposing lookout towers. In the far north of the country, the heat is almost overwhelming as it bears down on the men and women who act as the only barrier to the dusty and lawless plains ahead. [...] The border area has seen a large number of incidents and the first attack on Beninese soil took place in Kourou-Koalou in November 2021. Despite once being a busy highway used by trucks and taxis, the road to the border town from Natitingou in the northwest is now practically deserted, with potholes and makeshift barricades littered across the tarmac. The wind blows dust and wiry branches across it while small children stand and watch in awe as huge tanks thunder past.
Claim: Koalou is a territory of Burkina Faso (Koalou, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-06-05): Mira Tankoino was working at the market in a lawless frontier town on Benin’s northern border when more than 20 armed jihadists arrived on motorbikes. The insurgents, who had occupied a long-abandoned tourist lodge in neighbouring Burkina Faso, asked the residents of Kourou Koalou to leave. [...] Scores have lost family members in Benin’s northern territories to such violence as terrorists pour over the border from Burkina