The Dafra Circus’s latest performance, “Souffle” (Breath), used mime, dance and acrobatics to portray the impact of Burkina Faso’s jihadist conflict on children. In a one‑hour show at Abidjan’s Palais des Sports, four performers enacted scenes of young victims juggling ammunition and succumbing to terror, attempting to convey what words cannot.
Choreographer Jean‑Adolphe Sanou explained to AFP that the piece “is about life … and when we talk about life we talk about hope, and hope means the children.” The troupe, based in Bobo‑Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second‑largest city, has been touring West Africa since its founding 30 years ago. Its artistic director, Moustapha Konaté, said circus “makes it possible to bring together as many people as possible” because its visual language “draws them in through feats, beauty, fluidity of movement.”
Since 2012, Burkina Faso has been embroiled in an insurgency led by jihadist groups. United Nations data indicate that between 2022 and 2024 more than 2,200 children experienced severe abuses, including killing, mutilation, abduction, forced recruitment and sexual violence. Human Rights Watch has also documented alleged violations by the Burkinabe army and civilian volunteer forces, although the circus’s performance does not address those accusations directly.
“Souffle” is inspired by the personal experiences of the performers, many of whom have family members or friends affected by the war. Konaté emphasized that “everyone has been affected” within the troupe. The show blended circus, dance, theatre and storytelling, a combination that “many people aren’t familiar with,” according to Konaté, and that elicited a strong response from audiences in both Ouagadougou and Bobo‑Dioulasso.
Audience member Yeli Gnougoh Coulibaly, 21, said the performance offered a subtler, less shocking perspective on the conflict than television news, allowing viewers to engage emotionally with the tragedy. The positive reception suggests that artistic expression can complement traditional reporting in raising awareness of humanitarian crises.
The performance underscores the continuing need for international attention to the plight of children in conflict zones and highlights the role of cultural initiatives in highlighting human rights concerns. Further tours by Dafra Circus are planned, aiming to reach additional audiences across the region.
