Read this month’s CrisisWatch Conflict in Focus entry on Burkina Faso here.
This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Jean-Hervé Jezequel, Crisis Group’s Sahel director, to discuss Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso’s withdrawal from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, their fight against al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked militants and the future of military rule in the Sahel.
Govt faced criticism from senior military figures about widespread insecurity and repression; diplomatic tensions heightened with Benin and Côte d’Ivoire.
Discord within military persisted over govt’s failure to address insecurity and shrinking space for dissent. Former President Lt. Col. Damiba 1 July sent letter to President Capt. Traoré raising alarm about challenges facing country, said “all-military strategy” had failed, and denounced violations of “elementary civil rights” amid ongoing repression and insecurity. Reports of internal discord within security forces continued; notably, gunmen 13 July abducted two senior military officers, including Damiba ally Lt. Col. Bamouni. Space for critics continued to be curtailed. Notably, at least four renowned journalists went missing from mid-June to late July, including unidentified armed men 13 July abducting radio journalist Alain Traoré. Govt 13-18 July also passed series of restrictive legislation criminalising homosexuality, allowing state to strip someone of nationality if they “act against the interests of the country” and permitting govt to take up to 15% stake in new mining projects.
Insecurity continued across country. Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) throughout month clashed with govt forces and military auxiliaries, with civilian fatalities recorded; notably, JNIM militants 12 July attacked Nagrabondi village (East region), reportedly killing 20 civilians. Thousands 17 and 20 July gathered in Bogande town (East) and Djibo city (Sahel region), respectively, to denounce govt’s inability to tackle deteriorating security situation.
Govt criticised Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, Alliance of Sahel States (AES) held summit. During 11 July speech which addressed security situation, diplomatic relations and plans for next five years, Traoré accused Benin and Côte d’Ivoire of hosting French military to train jihadist fighters; both immediately denied allegations and Benin 16 July summoned Burkinabé ambassador. Concurrently, Côte d’Ivoire 16 July expelled over 150 newly arrived Burkinabé refugees near shared border, heightening bilateral tensions. Meanwhile, AES – bringing Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger together – 6 July held summit in Niger’s capital Niamey to discuss joint military operations and reaffirmed decision to leave West African regional body ECOWAS (see Mali, Niger).
Tensions within the army [in Burkina Faso] have exacerbated over the past months because President Damiba has not been able to restore security in the country.
President Ibrahim Traoré has reinforced the role of Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDPs) in Burkina Faso's fight with jihadists. While VDP militias help secure national territory, their actions also fuel violence. With the help of external partners, the authorities should rein them in.
Crisis-ridden Mali and Burkina Faso face jihadist insurgency and political turmoil. In this excerpt from the Watch List 2023 – Spring Update, Crisis Group outlines what the EU and its member states can do to prevent these two countries from falling into further regional isolation.
Insurgents have established bases in an important nature reserve spanning parts of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. They pose a growing danger to local ecosystems and people living around the park. The three countries need to collaborate more closely to keep the threat at bay.
On 4 September, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba gave a speech reviewing his actions since he seized power on 24 January 2022. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts Mathieu Pellerin and Rinaldo Depagne analyse this milestone.
This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood talks with Crisis Group expert Rinaldo Depagne about the coup in Burkina Faso, the latest in a series of military takeovers in Africa.
On 24 January, a military junta overthrew Burkina Faso’s president, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts Mathieu Pellerin and Rinaldo Depagne explain how this latest coup confirms the failure of democratically elected regimes in West Africa.
Since 2013, when it sent troops to Mali, France has led international efforts to root out Islamist militancy from the Sahel. Yet the jihadist threat has grown. Paris and its partners should reorient their military-centred approach toward helping improve governance in the region.
Le Burkina Faso et le Niger se dirigent tous deux vers des élections générales. Rinaldo Depagne et Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim décryptent leurs enjeux et insistent sur la nécessité pour leurs vainqueurs de se pencher sur l’insécurité croissante dans les régions rurales, provoquée en grande partie par la présence de groupes jihadistes.
The proliferation of armed groups and the expanding footprint of jihadist groups fuelled violence in Burkina Faso in 2019. The government should adopt a more integrated approach to security and tackle the crisis in rural areas by resolving land disputes.
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