Ouagadougou: As a prelude to the holding of the 3rd edition of the Dédougou Municipal Week (SECOD) which will be held from July 30 to August 3, 2024 on the theme: ‘Citizen participation and local development: challenges and perspectives’ , a collective wedding was held on Thursday July 18, 2024 in Dédougou. Officiated by the President of the special delegation of the commune of Dédougou, Dieudonné Tougfo, this event allowed 25 couples to regularize their marital situation.

25 couples went before the civil status officer of Dédougou, on Thursday July 18, 2024, to regularize their marital situation on the occasion of the 3rd municipal week of Dédougou.

The activity is part of the Town Hall’s efforts to encourage the legal celebration of marriages in the town.

‘We are very happy to welcome you and offer you this opportunity for the celebration of these weddings,’ declared the President of the special delegation (PDS) of Dédougou, Dieudonné Tougfo.

Indeed, many couples live in common-law relationships without
having formalized their marriage, often due to lack of information or financial means.

The collective wedding organized by the town hall therefore made it possible to remedy this situation for around twenty families.

‘Marriage is an important act that must be officially recognized. This initiative facilitates procedures and promotes legitimate union within our community. It has the same legal content as that celebrated individually,’ added the PDS.

‘We have been living together for years, but we have never been able to officially get married. We therefore took this opportunity offered by the town hall to regularize our situation. Thanks to this initiative, we are now legally recognized as spouses. It’s a great joy for us,’ Assétou Traoré, one of the brides of the day, told us.

At the end of the celebration, the first leaders of the town offered gifts to the couples and a joint lunch.

The 3rd municipal week of Dédougou which began with the celebration of collective weddings will continue in the period fro
m July 30 to August 3 with several local development, cultural and sporting activities.

Source: Burkina Information Agency