Naba Baongo II (born 1956[1]) is the current Mogho Naba, the constituent king of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso. According to oral tradition, he is the 37th king of the Mossi.[2] As king, he is seen as a symbol of tradition and still retains influence in political matters within the country (albeit, no longer holding sovereignty), and elected MPs, ministers, and ambassadors are known to seek his approval.[3][4]
In official functions, Baongo only speaks in his native language Mooré. He does not speak French, despite knowing the language. His spokesperson, Larle Naba, is used to communicate with guests.[3] When questioned on this, he explained that he doesn't communicate in French so as to help preserve his native language and culture.[5]
Baongo was crowned the Mogho Naba on 21 December 1982, succeeding his father, Naba Kougri.[6][7][1]
His authority was significantly curtailed during the presidency of Thomas Sankara.[3] The Mogho Naba was confined to his palace in Ouagadougou by Sankara, and was forbidden to hold court during his presidency.[8]
As Mogho Naba, Baongo plays an important political role as a 'neutral' mediator. In 2015, he was credited with playing a key role in brokering a return to civilian rule after the 2015 Burkina Faso coup attempt, in-effect, avoiding potential violence.[3][9][5] Following these events, on 26 September 2015, he was awarded the Peace Prize by Les Amis du Burkina Faso for his role in brokering peace.[10]
In 2017, he won the Macky Sall Prize for African Dialogue for his role in resolving crises in Burkina Faso.[11][12][13]
On 18 April 2023, Baongo donated to the Burkinabe national government to help with the ongoing jihadist insurgency. The donation amounted to 7 million CFA francs, as well as bags of rice, corn, millet, sorghum, and sugar.[14][15]
Baongo has released a couple books, containing collections of his poems.[16][17]
