CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE _____________________________________________________________________ representatives, and proposals to eradicate conflicts were made. The CRM welcomed the strong participation of elements of the defence and security forces in group meetings and in some cases, the opportunity for them to present apologies to civilians, thus strengthening links between the military and civilians. Conflicts with neighbouring countries 155. The CRM noted that the conflict between Burkina Faso and Mali as regards the Agacher band – a strip of semidesert land 160 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide lying between the northeast of Burkina Faso and eastern Mali, and which is believed to contain natural gas and mineral resources – had been satisfactorily resolved. In January 1986, at a summit with regard to the Agreement on Non-Aggression and Assistance in Matters of Defence (ANAD) held in Yamoussoukro (Côte d’Ivoire), the presidents of Burkina Faso and Mali agreed to withdraw their troops to the positions they occupied before the conflict. Prisoners of war were exchanged in February and diplomatic relations restored in June. Despite these positive signs, the dispute remained unresolved. The case was then referred to the ICJ. In its decision delivered on 22 December 1986, the court divided the 3,000km2 almost equally between the two states. Mali was granted the western part and Burkina Faso the eastern part. The president of Mali described the decision as ‘very satisfactory’ and as a ‘victory’ for the fraternal peoples of Burkina Faso and Mali. 156. In addition, the CRM welcomes the willingness displayed and expressed by the authorities of Burkina Faso in seeking, through peaceful dialogue and consultation, to find solutions to the border dispute between Burkina Faso and two of its neighbours, Benin and Niger. As regards the dispute between Benin and Burkina Faso, negotiations between the two sides are continuing. Since 1980, the joint commission in charge of demarcating common borders has been faced with the problem of interpreting texts on the territorial ownership of Koalou (68km2). According to the decree of 22 July 1914, the border between Burkina Faso and Benin is demarcated by the Pendjari Course. This means that Koalou falls under the sovereignty of Burkina Faso. As for Benin, another text is invoked, namely an order of 1938 issued by a colonial administrator, decreeing that Benin law applies in the area. The two parties, which had hitherto renounced any recourse to international arbitration, managed to define virtually all their borders, except the 7km length of Koalou. The CRM encourages and supports the willingness to engage in dialogue shown by the two parties. Good practice no. 3.1: Burkina Faso: regional ombudsman and peacemaker in Africa Burkina Faso has, over the past two decades, become a dynamic actor that is playing an increasingly active role in international relations. Such active participation is particularly evident in the area of peace and international security. Indeed, Burkina Faso has in recent years been involved regularly in the peacekeeping operations of the AU and the UN. From the 1990s, Burkina Faso has been engaged in peacekeeping operations organised under the auspices of ECOWAS. It thus supported Liberia (1997), Togo (1993), Niger (1995), Burundi 91