The meeting is being held in Ouagadougou from 19 to 21 May 2026

The opening of the proceedings was chaired by Technical Adviser Emmanuel OUEDRAOGO, representing the Minister of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts of Burkina Faso. Also present was Georges Anicet OUEDRAOGO, Chief of Staff to the Commissioner in charge of the Department of Regional Market and Cooperation.

Emmanuel OUEDRAOGO recalled that “the Advisory Committee on Competition is consulted in advance by the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) for its opinion before any decision on competition matters, in accordance with Article 28.4 of Regulation No. 03/2002/CM/UEMOA of 5 May 2002 on the procedures applicable to anti-competitive agreements and abuses of dominant position within WAEMU.”

He added that the Committee “is therefore an important pillar of the system for enforcing competition rules and involves the States in decision-making on the settlement of competition cases.”

For his part, Georges Anicet OUEDRAOGO stressed that the WAEMU Commission’s interventions have made it possible to sanction proven anti-competitive practices attributable to both States and companies.

These interventions have also helped to restore sound competition in several sectors through:

• the issuing of negative clearances;
• the authorisation of mergers compatible with the common market;
• the follow-up of competition litigation before the Court of Justice.

According to the Chief of Staff to the Commissioner in charge of the Department of Regional Market and Cooperation, “these results reflect the institutional maturity the WAEMU Commission has achieved in carrying out its competition responsibilities at regional level.”

In particular, this session will enable the members of the Advisory Committee on Competition to examine and deliberate on the draft decision granting negative clearance for the proposed acquisition by ENKO Capital West Africa SA of the entire share capital of SIA restauration rapide Côte d’Ivoire SAS, currently wholly owned by SIA restauration publique SAS.

During the proceedings, the members will also examine the report on the competition investigation into the sugar sector in Côte d’Ivoire. The meeting will further provide an opportunity to present the Support Programme for Competition and Consumer Product Safety (PACoSPro), funded by the European Union.

In addition to the Committee members, officials from the PACoSPro technical assistance team and the WAEMU Commission are taking part in the proceedings.