The Foreign Service Journal, September 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2017 81 AFSA NEWS AFSA EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AWARDS Upholding Democratic Principles in Burkina Faso THE MARK PALMER AWARD FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF DEMOCRACY AMBASSADOR TUL INABO MUSHINGI As U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso, Tulinabo Mushingi earned the moni- ker “Sid Pawalamde,”which means “truth is not whis- pered” in Mooré, the local language. In 2014, Amb. Mushingi publicly voiced opposition to a constitutional amendment, proposed by the ruling party, which would allow then- President Blaise Compaoré to extend his 27-year rule. By communicating the policies of the U.S. government clearly and consistently in public and private speeches and on social media, and by demonstrat- ing the principles of good governance in their day-to-day activities, Amb. Mushingi and the staff of American Embassy Ouagadougou supported the Burkinabe people in their efforts to oust a dictator. Insisting that Burkina Faso needed “strong institu- tions, not strongmen,”Amb. Mushingi called for nonvio- lence and a peaceful transfer of power as protests in the country became an uprising in October 2014. Facing mount- ing pressure from civilian protesters, Compaoré fled the country and members of the military took power. Amb. Mushingi called on the military figures in charge to hand over power to civilian authorities, to reinstate the constitution, and to hold free elections. By mid-November 2014, a civilian-led tran- sitional government was in power, and elections were set for November 2015. As the Burkinabe people began to pre- pare for elections, Amb. Mushingi continued to meet and engage with the different communi- ties in the country, using his car as a mobile office to keep in touch when traveling. During this time, according to his nomi- nation, Amb. Mushingi was “approached constantly by people thanking him for being ‘their voice’.” On Sept. 16, 2015, only two months before the election, the Presidential Security Regiment staged a coup d’état, holding the interim president and prime minister hostage. Amb. Mushingi condemned the takeover and called for the immediate reinstatement of the transitional government. He met with Prime Minister Zida, then under house arrest, and tweeted a “proof-of-life” picture, reassuring the public and preventing many from taking to the streets seeking revenge. Demonstrating his profound respect for the democratic process, Amb. Mushingi also helped prevent Ouagadougou and then working with a former president of Burkina Faso, the papal ambassador and a cardinal to negotiate his surrender and fair trial. Recognizing the importance of legitimate elections at this stage, Amb. Mushingi renewed calls to carry on with the vote, never wavering, even as other diplomats discussed a delay. On Nov. 29, 2015, free and transparent elections were held and, one month later, the new president took office. This marked the first-ever peaceful transfer of power from one civilian president to another in Burkina Faso. Amb. Mushingi began his diplomatic career work- ing for the U.S. Peace Corps in Papua NewGuinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and the Central Afri- can Republic. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1989 and has served in Malaysia, Mozambique, Morocco, Tan- zania, Zambia and Ethiopia, as well asWashington, D.C. He received an M.A. fromHoward University and a Ph.D. from Georgetown University. Since leaving Burkina Faso, he has been confirmed by the Senate as ambassador to Senegal and, concurrently, ambassador to Guinea-Bissau. n Ambassador Mushingi reads to students at a school outside of Ouagadougou. Amb. Mushingi often travelled in intense heat to visit communities throughout Burkina Faso and tell them about the United States. Following an attempted coup in September 2015, Ambassador Talinabo Mushingi sought an audience with deposed Prime Minister Isaac Zida, who was then under house arrest. The embassy tweeted a “proof-of-life” image, which helped prevent violence in the streets. The text reads: “I have just met with Prime Minister Zida, and I can assure you that he is well.” COURTESYOFAMBASSADORTULINABOMUSHINGI WWW.TWITTER.COM/USMEMBASSYOUAGA the extrajudicial killing of the leader of the coup, first by securing sanctuary for him with the Vatican’s embassy in