As a firm, STRATEGIES! has been tracking and analyzing trends in the Sahel for the past 3-4 years, so a trip to any country in the region is always an exciting moment to touch and feel its reality.  This is in addition to the fact that “le pays des hommes intègres” home to two of Africa’s most extraordinary men, Thomas Sankara and Francis Diébédo Kéré, is always a favorite place to visit. So a week in Ouaga with my colleague Franck Essi, even in this moment of military rule, a form of government I always view with skepticism and trepidation, is always a delight. This trip was no exception and as concerns the current governance of Burkina Faso, it was a moment to question presumptions and invite new questions for reflection.