This paper traces the process that has led to the emergence of a development platform in the zone of Kishi Beiga, situated in the extreme north of Burkina Faso. Home to many different ethnic groups, the complex history of this pastoral zone has at times threatened to derail development initiatives such as the GTZ component of Burkina Sahel programme (PSB), which was launched in 1991 as part of a programme of German development aid to the country. After an initially shaky start, the PSB has facilitated a shirt towards consultation rather that confrontation, and now involves a wide variety of interest groups at supra-village level: pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, former slaves and their masters, local people and transhumant herders.