On Fridays at 7am the Moro-Naba of Ouagadougou – emperor of the Mossi and the most powerful traditional chief in Burkina Faso – presides over the Moro-Naba Ceremony at the palace. It's a formal ritual that lasts only about 15 minutes. Travellers are welcome to attend, but photos are not permitted.
During the ceremony, the Mossi chiefs take their position according to their ranks, and the Moro Naba appears on a horse, dressed in warrior reds for war. After the senior chiefs pledge their allegiance, the king leaves and then returns dressed in white, for peace. The spectacle depicts a historical event, when the king was about to wage a war against a rival king but was persuaded to make peace by his chiefs.
