Ouagadougou: She was nicknamed Zimako, in reference to the famous Kanak footballer, Jacques Zimako. As part of the women’s team, the Lionnes d’Accart-ville in Bobo-Dioulasso, Assata Robgo/Bangr© imposed a formidable defense. But beyond her football background, she is best known as a professional, discreet, and dedicated journalist for the Burkina Faso Information Agency (AIB). This Thursday, July 17, 2025, she is retiring after an exemplary career in the public press.
According to Burkina Information Agency, if you’ve ever browsed the “Les R©gionales” pages of the national daily Sidwaya, dedicated to current events in the provinces, then you’ve come across the work of Assata Bangr©, Robgo’s wife, even if her name doesn’t always appear there. Alongside the AIB correspondents, she is one of the architects of these weekly pages, published every Wednesday and highly prized by readers eager to stay informed about the entire country.
She joined AIB in 2021, when the agency was still part of the Les ‚¬Å¡¬°ditions Sidwaya press group, and worked there until July 17, 2025. She left the mark of a conscientious, humble, respectful professional, always available to support younger employees.
Her career in the media began in 2003, after obtaining a degree in linguistics and training at the Centre de formation professionnelle de l’information (CFPI). Assigned to the newspaper Sidwaya, she spent 18 years of her career there. She started on the Economy and Development desk, before hosting the Children’s Space section from 2009 to 2013. She then put her pen to work for Carrefour africain, a publication specializing in in-depth reports, before returning to the national daily newspaper to the Environment desk, where she spent two years.
She then joined the multimedia/webcasting department, where she worked for six years, before joining AIB. True to the agency’s spirit of discretion, she slipped away quietly, but not without efficiency. Present from the early hours of the day to handle the regional pages, she then handed over to the younger staff, in her own words.
Respectful, cheerful, generous, and attentive, Ms. Bangr© embodies a model of modesty and professionalism for her colleagues. For Pauline Yam©ogo, a former colleague, she played an important role in mentoring young people. For Fatouma Sophie Ouattara, now publishing director of the Queen Mafa newspaper, she will remain a prominent figure of kindness in her early days at Sidwaya.
Noufo Enok Kindo, current secretary general of ‚¬Å¡¬°ditions Sidwaya, remembers her as a rigorous and punctual collaborator who took her responsibilities very seriously. At AIB, her colleagues describe her as a cheerful worker, capable of bringing smiles and motivation back to the editorial staff.
A personality she may have forged during her military training in the ranks of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, or even on the football pitch. “We were the guinea pigs of women’s football,” she confides with humor. “We played with passion, without expecting anything in return, unlike today, where we often talk about money,” recalls the one who wore bib number 4.
It was her defensive prowess that earned her the nickname Zimako, according to Awa Traor©, known as the Gazelle, a former teammate.
For Ms. S©raphine Some/Millogo, AIB’s Executive Director, Assata Bangr©’s adventure as an AIB agent is coming to an end, but not the collaboration. “A powerful agency relies on its information network, its alumni, and its partners. And Assata Bangr© will undoubtedly continue to embody this precious connection,” she said.