23.03.2023
Developed by: Katarzyna Wozniak
On 30 September 2022, the second coup in Burkina Faso occurred during the year. Captain Ibrahim Traore and the military junta took over. The Provisional Government has promised to regain an area controlled by armed groups and to increase state security. During six months of government, Captain Traore's sense of safety in Burkina Faso decreased, and many kidnappings and attacks on both civilians and armed forces have besides occurred.
At the beginning of his tenure, Traore began reorganizing the armed forces, thus expanding the number of military regions from 3 to six (Sahel, Boucle du Mouhoun and east areas). In November 2022, the armed forces recruited 3,000 fresh soldiers and 1,400 gendarmes into the army.[1]. As part of the fight against terrorism, the temporary government of Burkina Faso besides recruited the militia from October to November 2022. As a result, 90 000 applications were received. Eventually, 50,000 volunteers who had undergone 14-day military training received weapons and joined the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP). The engagement of civilians in the fight against terrorism is not a fresh thought – already in 2020, under Rocha Kaboré, they fought against armed groups in the northern, north-central and east region of the country. The inclusion of civilians in the fight met with a mixed reaction. On the 1 hand, VDPs are expected to increase security, on the another hand, which raises many concerns about the future of VDP members. The largest of them is simply a large number of armed civilians who may stay resistant to state control.[2].
On 4 December 2022, the government of Burkina Faso suspended broadcasting the French radio RFI (Radio France International) after the station aired a threat directed to the population by the leader of the armed groups. The radio besides made it public that there was an effort by the state to overthrow Captain Ibrahim Traore, why the government powerfully denied[3]. Later, Traore confirmed in local media that another coup was attempted at the end of November 2022. The individuals liable for attempting to overthrow Traore were supporters of the erstwhile military junta who wanted to reconstruct order before the September coup. Traore declared he knew the perpetrators, but alternatively of arresting them, he preferred to have conversations with them. This is how he tries to make an image of a good leader who chooses dialog alternatively than a strength solution.[4].
Radio RFI considers that the suspension of broadcasting was not in accordance with the procedures introduced by the communication regulator Burkina Faso. It can be noted that citizens and rulers are inspired by the actions in neighbouring Mali, which in March 2022 as the first West African country suspended the transmission of RFI. This happened at a time erstwhile relations between France and erstwhile colonies deteriorate due to the mediocre effectiveness of the European ally in combating armed groups[5].
On 14 December 2022 in Washington, D.C. at the summit of U.S. and African leaders, president Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo confirmed that the Russian mercenaries of the Wagner group are in Burkina Faso, and that the country's temporary military government is to pay the vagners with gold, or, in fact, a licence to operate gold mines located in the south of the country. Ghana expressed concern about the Russian presence close the northern border of her country[6]. These allegations met with the acute reaction of Burkina Faso. A gathering between Ghana's safety minister and Ibrahim Traore was needed to calm the situation. So far, diplomatic relations between neighbouring countries have been affirmative through cooperation on agriculture, water, trade, transport and security[7].
On 23 December 2022, the Burkina Faso military government issued an order to leave the country for Barbara Manzi, who is simply a high-ranking UN official. The reason for considering Manzi as a ‘person non grata’ was not immediately given[8]. In a later message issued by the Minister for abroad Affairs, it turned out that this was due to “painting a negative image of the country's safety situation”[9]. Manzi has been active in humanitarian activities in developing countries for many years and was appointed to the position in Burkina Faso in 2021.[10].
At the end of December 2022, 28 men were killed in Burkina Faso whose bodies were found in the northwest city of Nouna.[11]. Local D.A. reported that all men were shot. The perpetrators and the recital at 7 January 2023 were not known. It is known that the victims belonged to a conventional hunting community known as Dozo. The killers claimed to be VDP members and then killed men. On 2 January 2023, the interim government of Burkina Faso launched an investigation into this matter[12]. Prior to this event, armed groups attacked the local office of Homeland Defence Volunteers[13].
On 12 and 13 January 2023, in Saum, the northern state of Burkina Faso, armed men abducted more than 50 women (depending on the source, the number of women varies from 50 to 60) who collected fruit outside the village of Lika (about 15 km from the city of Aribinda). On 12 January 40 women were kidnapped, which were about 12 km southeast of Aribinda, and another about 20 people – 13 January 2023 north of the city. Immediately after that, the army and civilian troops began searching on the ground and from the air. Planes searched the area to find increased traffic on the ground[14]. respective women managed to escape and notify the police of the kidnapping. The abducted live in an area threatened by frequent attacks by armed groups. They went to the bush in search of food that is missing in the Arbinda area, and this 1 is heavy dependent on the external food supply that armed groups are blocking[15]. UN advanced Commissioner for Human Rights called for the immediate release of the kidnapped and for national authorities to analyse and hold the kidnappers responsible[16].
On 19 January 2023, 2 attacks occurred in the north and northwest parts of the country. VDP members were attacked. At least 18 people died, including 16 VDP members. The first attack occurred in the town of Rakoegtenga, Bam state – 6 VDP members and 1 female were killed there, and about 10 people were injured, including respective seriously. The second attack was assumed to be a convoy escorted by the VDP on the road between Siena and Saran. 10 guards died and 1 civilian[17].
24 January 2023 France received a termination of the 2018 agreement on the position of French armed forces in Burkina Faso. This brought joy among the thousands of Burkinans who gathered in the capital of Ouagadugu to celebrate the withdrawal of France from Burkina Faso, support the military junta and encourage her to establish stronger relations with the Russian Federation[18]. France was to retreat its troops from Burkina Faso within a month, which was at the end of February 2023.[19], which she besides officially did on February 18 during the flag leaving ceremony[20]. Military equipment is to be taken by the end of April. Until the agreement was terminated in Burkina Faso, about 400 soldiers were stationed in the ‘Sabre’ mission, which covers the full Sahel region and fights armed groups associated with Al-Qaeda and the alleged muslim State.[21]. In addition, the government of Burkina Faso asked France to replace the ambassador after the incumbent public commented on the worsening safety situation in the country[22]. The interim government stated that the actions aimed at France are not intended to completely break diplomatic relations, but only to limit the presence of the erstwhile colonizer.
At the end of January 2023, a military base located in Falagountou in the north of the country close the border with Niger was attacked. 10 soldiers were killed, 2 VDP members and 1 civilian. Parallel to the above event in the south of the country, close the village of Linguekoro, at the border with Côte d'Ivoire, 15 bodies were found. politician of the Kaskad region, where the attack took place, said that armed men had stopped 2 vehicles that carried 8 women and 16 men. Women and 1 of the men were spared, but the another 15 men lost their lives[23].
Not only civilians but besides humanitarian workers are being attacked. On 8 February 2023 in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, in the northwest of Burkina Faso, a four-man medical squad on the way between Dedougou and Taugan was attacked by armed men. 2 staff doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) lost their lives, the another 2 managed to escape. The organization of doctors without Borders condemned the attack and temporarily suspended its activities in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. The MSF squad operates in 4 Burkina Faso regions. From July to December 2022, he conducted 400,000 consultations on basic wellness care and assisted nearly 4300 women in childbirth. MSF activities are an crucial part of aid in a country facing a humanitarian crisis[24].
On 17 February 2023 at the north of Burkina Faso at the border with Mali and Niger, at least 51 soldiers were killed in an ambush prepared by armed groups. On 19 February in the morning, 8 bodies of soldiers were reported found; on the evening of the same day, a balance sheet was given (51 people). Soldiers patrolled the area between Deou and Oursi in Oudalan Province[25]. On 25 February 2023, armed groups associated with the alleged muslim State reported that they killed more than 70 soldiers, respective twelve another soldiers were injured and 5 were taken hostage[26]. This was 1 of the most deadly attacks by armed groups against safety forces. The last specified major attack occurred in November 2021 in Inata in the north of the country where 57 MPs lost their lives after an unsuccessful call for help. According to NGOs, the force in Burkina Faso since 2015 has consumed more than 10,000 human lives – both civilians and soldiers. All of Burkina Faso's armed forces are in anti-terrorist action. The air force, which reportedly neutralized 100 members of the armed groups, is the most effective. This number is added to 60 others killed since the start of the operation[27].
Map 1. Map of jihadist attacks and female abductions. Own development.Burkina Faso is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. The state is on the list of the poorest countries in the world. Thousands of people and members of safety forces died, and about 2 million people were displaced and forced to live in makeshift camps. Unstable governments and the activities of various armed groups, including neighbouring Mali, are liable for deteriorating surviving conditions in Burkina Faso. Armed groups, which proceed to carry out attacks and occupy fresh areas, hinder the movement of people and goods in the overthrown cities. The economical Community of the West African States (ECOWAS) estimated that in June 2022 only 60% of the country remained under the control of the Burkina Faso authorities[28]. The war in east Europe further contributed to the deepening of the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso and another countries that were supplied with food coming from Ukraine. With aid comes the global Monetary Fund, which has committed to donating $80 million of emergency aid to Burkina Faso. backing is intended to cover the distribution of food and drinking water, subsidised agricultural production and cash transfers to households qualified to receive this form of aid[29].
The political instability and the regulation of the military junta caused the United States to opt out of its trading preferences program The African Growth and chance Act (AGOA). The programme provides countries of Sub-Saharan Africa with duty-free access to the US if the country afraid meets certain conditions. The Ministry of abroad Affairs of Burkina Faso stated that the date of the surrender of power to civilian hands and the transition to democratic regulation had not changed. In July 2022, Burkina Faso came to an agreement with ECOWAS on the transfer of power to take place after 24 months, or around July 2024.[30] The promises made by the military junta prove insufficient to convince the United States not to retreat from the AGOA program.
As you can see, Captain Traore's government did not improve security. Its further decline and the increasing humanitarian crisis, which will contribute to the deaths of more people (both those who will die in armed groups' attacks and due to hunger or disease), the expanding phenomenon of migration and the expanding importance of armed groups not only in Burkina Faso, but throughout the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea. This will force an even greater number of Burcans seeking peace to engage with the armed groups themselves. The Burcans, who have already made pacts with the leaders of the armed groups, were forced to adopt a strict version of the sharia, which touches the most women and children, and agreements and agreements that only for a short period apply bilaterally. Local leaders believe that pacts and agreements are inactive a better alternate than the armed struggle, so most leaders call on all government in the country to join the talks[31].
[1] H. Kone, F. R.odrigue Kone, Without appropriate supervision and control, the usage of 50,000 armed civilian auxiliaries could aggravate safety problems., ‘Institute for safety Studies’, 9.01.2023, https://issafrica.org/iss-today/risks-of-burkina-fasos-new-military-approach-to-terrorism, 15.02.2023.
[2] Ibid.
[3]Burkina Faso government suspensions broadcast of France’s RFI, ‘Aljazeera’, 4.12.2022, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/4/burkina-faso-military-government-suspends-broadcast-of-frances-rfi-radio, 15.02.2023.
[4]Burkina Faso interim leader affirms coup attempt: Local media, ‘Aljazeera’, 2.12.2022, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/2/burkina-faso-interim-leader-confirms-coup-attemp-local-media, 15.02.2023.
[5]Burkina Faso government suspensions broadcast...
[6] The president Ghana Says Burkina Faso Paid Russian Mercenaries with Mine, ‘Voice of America’, 15.12.2022, https://www.voanews.com/a/ghana-says-burkina-faso-paid-Russian-mercenaries-with-mine-/6878119.html, 16.02.2022.
[7] Idem, Ghana Repairs Rift With Burkina Faso After Wagner Claims, ‘Voice of America’, 22.12.2022, https://www.voanews.com/a/ghana-repairs-rift-with-burkina-faso-after-wagner-claims/6887721.html, 16.02.2023.
[8]Burkina Faso government outbreaks elder U.N. official, ‘Reuters’, 23.12.2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/burkina-faso-government-expels-senior-un-official-2022-12-23/, 15.02.2023.
[9]US drops Burkina Faso from Africa duty-free trade programme, ‘Aljazeera’, 2.01.2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/2/us-drops-burkina-faso-from-africa-duty-free-trade-program, 15.02.2023.
[10]Burkina Faso government outbreaks elder U.N. official...
[11]Investigation into 28 killed in Burkina Faso must be transparent: UN rights Chief, "United Nations", 7.01.2023, https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/01/1132257, 15.02.2023.
[12] Ibid.
[13]Burkina Faso: UN Calls for Probe Into Northern Burkina Faso Massacre, ‘allAfrica’, 7.01.2023, https://allafrica.com/stories/202301080030.html, 15.02.2023.
[14]Burkina Faso: 50 women acquired by suggested rebels, ‘Aljazeera’, 16.01.2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/16/presumed-jihadists-abduct-about-50-women-in-burkina-faso-local-sources, 15.02.2023.
[15]Suspected jihadists kidnap 50 women in Burkina Faso, ‘The Guardian’, 16.01.2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/16/burkina-faso-suspected-jihadists-kidnap-women, 15.02.2023.
[16]Burkina Faso: 50 women abducted by...
[17]Two attacks kill 18 in Burkina Faso: safety sources, ‘Aljazeera’, 20.01.2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/20/two-attacks-kill-18-in-burkina-faso-security-sources, 16.02.2023.
[18]Burkina Rally Celebrity Word That French Troops Will Leave, ‘Voice of America’, 28.01.2023, https://www.voanews.com/a/burkina-rally-celebrate-word-that-french-troops-will-leave-/6938573.html, 16.02.2023.
[19]France is Pull Troops From Burkina Faso Within a Month: Ministry, ‘Voice of America’, 25.01.2023, https://www.voanews.com/a/france-to-pull-troops-from-burkina-faso-within-a-month-ministery-/6933909.html, 16.02.2023.
[20] The president The French are withdrawing from Africa. Mission to Burkina Faso is over,‘Euractiv’, 20.02.2023, https://www.euractiv.pl/section/security-i-defence/news/French-remove-sie-from-Africa-end-mission-in-burkina-faso/, 21.02.2023.
[21]France is Pull Troops From Burkina Faso...
[22] Ibid.
[23]Burkina Faso says 28 soldiers, civilians killed in rebel attacks, ‘Aljazeera’, 31.01.2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/31/Burkina-faso-says-28-soldiers-civilians-killed-in-rebel-attacks, 21.02.2023.
[24]MSF condemns the brutal and deliberal killing of 2 staff in Burkina Faso,‘Medecins Sans Frontieres’, 9.02.2023, https://www.msf.org/msf-condemns-brutal-and-deliberalate-killing-two-staff-burkina-faso, 21.02.2023.
[25]New bloody attack in Burkina: at least 51 soldiers killed, ‘Africanews’, 21.02.2023, https://www.africanews.com/2023/02/21/new-bloody-attack-in-burkina-at-least-51-soldiers-killed/, 22.02.2023.
[26]Over 70 Soldiers Killed in Burkina Faso, Extremes Say,‘Voice of America’, 25.02.2023, https://www.voanews.com/a/over-70-soldiers-killed-in-burkina-faso-extremists-say/6978914.html, 25.02.2023.
[27]New bloody attack in Burkina: at least 51...
[28]Burkina Faso: 50 women abducted by...
[29]IMF agreements $80m bailout to aid Burkina Faso with wrestling food crisis,‘Radio France International’, 10.02.2023, https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230210-imp-agrees-80m-bailout-for-bukina-faso-to-help-with-food-crisis-war-ukraine, 21.02.2023.
[30]US drops Burkina Faso from Africa...
[31] The president 2022 in review: Conflict and dialog in West Africa’s Sahel,‘The fresh Humanitarian’, 22.12.2022, https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2022/12/22/conflict-in-review-sahel, 21.02.2023.
