Attacks continued in north against security forces and civilians. In Soum province, unidentified assailants attacked gendarmerie stations at Nassoumbou 2 Oct and Inata 4 Oct and police station at Mentao 5 Oct; killed person allegedly close to Malam Ibrahim Dicko, Islamist militant leader reportedly dead, in Djibo 13 Oct; attacked administration building in Belehede 16 Oct and burned down school 19 Oct in Tem. Assailants temporarily abducted four civil servants near Oursi, Oudalan province, also north 7 Oct; attacked police station and police commissioner’s house in Sollé, Loroum province 15 Oct. Assailants killed soldier and brother at home in Gorom-Gorom, Oudalan province 23 Oct; killed five people at Djibo and Basnéré, both Soum province 25 Oct; killed teacher in Komé, Gorom-Gorom area 27 Oct. Kogleweogo community defence group arrested three policemen accused of corruption in Ouagadougou outskirts early Oct. Former FM Bassolé, detained since late 2015 for involvement in Sept 2015 coup, provisionally released 10 Oct and put under house arrest. François Compaoré, brother of former President Blaise Compaoré, under international arrest warrant since May for involvement in 1998 murder of journalist Norbert Zongo, arrested in Paris 29 Oct, released next day pending consideration of Burkinabe govt request for his extradition. UN Security Council visit to Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso 19-22 Oct concluded need to support planned G5 Sahel joint force to counter Islamist militancy and trafficking in region. Following UN Security Council meeting on joint force 30 Oct, U.S. Sec State Tillerson pledged up to $60mn in support.

Insecurity persisted in north, mostly in Soum province bordering Mali. In Soum province, unidentified assailants 4 Sept attacked Kourfadji and kidnapped two people; 7 Sept attacked town hall in Diguel, kidnapped local official releasing him a few days later; 15 Sept killed village chief, imam and third person around Baraboulé; 22 Sept killed civilian in Diadio; 23 Sept attacked police station in Mentao refugee camp; military vehicle same day hit IED in Woro Saba, four soldiers injured; 26 Sept assailants ambushed military vehicle escorting mining convoy after it hit IED, killing two gendarmes; 27 Sept killed local official suspected of complicity with jihadists in Nassoumbou, near Djibo; four bodies found at Touronata 28 Sept. Insecurity spread west: gunmen attacked gendarmerie post 27 Sept in Toéni, Sourou region, near Mali border. Facebook post allegedly by jihadist group Ansarul Islam 12 Sept claimed al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist coalition Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) responsible for 13 Aug attack in capital Ouagadougou. Human Rights Watch 8 Sept criticised security forces for human rights abuses.

In first terrorist attack in capital Ouagadougou since Jan 2016, two suspected Islamist militants 13 Aug opened fire in café, killing nineteen before being killed by security forces; no group claimed responsibility. Insecurity continued in Soum province, Sahel region in north: military vehicle 17 Aug hit IED in Inata, 25km from Djibo, three soldiers killed; gunmen 18 Aug fired shots in air in artisanal gold mining site and burned down two bars in Tiembolo, 2km west of Inata. Govt 3 Aug announced three-year emergency program for Sahel region, with budget of FCFA455bn ($819mn), to build infrastructure and alleviate poverty. Unidentified gunmen 31 Aug attacked gendarmerie station in Djibasso, Kossi province near border with Mali, reportedly killing customs officer. National assembly speaker and president of ruling party Movement of People for Progress Salif Diallo died of natural causes in Paris 19 Aug.

Violence likely involving jihadists continued in northern and western areas near Mali border. Gunmen 25 July killed five people wanted by security forces in Soum province in north in apparent score settling among members of jihadist group Ansarul Islam, amid possible infighting for leadership. Ansarul Islam late June posted on Facebook that Jafar Dicko had replaced Malam Ibrahim Dicko as leader, hinting that latter had died. Security forces repelled seven gunmen 12 July who fired shots at them in Doumbala, Kossi province in west; no casualties reported. Inhabitants fought nomadic Fulani herders after cattle damaged field in Doussoula, Sourou province in north west 11 July, one killed. At summit of G5 Sahel (Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania) in Bamako 1-2 July, members each pledged €10mn to finance 5,000-strong joint military force to counter jihadism in region (see Mali). National Assembly 4 July passed law on workings of High Court of Justice that paves way for resumption of trial of 34 former ministers under former President Compaoré for involvement in repression of Oct 2014 popular uprising. Arrest warrant against François Compaoré (former president’s brother) for his role in 1998 assassination of journalist Norbert Zongo issued early May revealed 28 July. UN working group on arbitrary detention early July said detention of former Foreign Minister Bassolé for alleged involvement in Sept 2015 military coup was arbitrary and that he should not be tried by military court because he was on leave from military at time of coup. Govt 7 July dismissed accusation, saying all civilians involved in coup would face military justice.

In Soum province, Sahel region in north, unidentified gunmen killed five civilians in Pogouwol, Kourou and Pétéga 3 June, and killed farmer and village councillor in Basnéré 11 June; observers suspect jihadist group Ansarul Islam responsible. African Union 3 June pledged support to efforts of Sahel G5 (Niger, Mali, Chad, Mauritania and Burkina Faso) against jihadism and EU 5 June promised €50mn to support G5 joint military force; UN Security Council 21 June adopted resolution endorsing G5 force but did not authorise use of force. Constitutional Council 9 June ruled that law determining workings of High Court of Justice was unconstitutional as it barred appeals; High Court of Justice 17 June suspended trial of 34 former ministers under former President Compaoré for involvement in repression of Oct 2014 popular uprising pending amendments to law. Opposition and civil society early June said proposed amendments to electoral code, including replacement of independent electoral commission with autonomous body under interior ministry, would undermine independence and fairness of elections.

Security situation in Sahel region in north remained precarious. Security forces 12 May killed Gorane Dicko, alleged member of jihadist group Ansarul Islam, between Soboulé and Pétéga, Soum province. Unidentified gunmen 13 May attacked village of Djahoye, Oudalan province, killing one civilian. Assailants killed retired police officer in Djibo 27 May, one assailant also killed. Govt 4 May agreed with other G5 Sahel countries (Niger, Chad, Mali and Mauritania) to create joint military force by end of 2017 to counter jihadists and organised crime. Koglweogo community defence groups clashed with residents in Tialgo, Sanguie province in centre 18 May, four koglweogo and two civilians killed. Clashes over choice of new customary chief in Bittou in east 20 May killed two.

French, Burkinabè and Malian troops 27 March-10 April carried out joint Operation Panga in Fhero forest on border between Sahel region in north and Mali to eliminate jihadists especially Malam Ibrahim Dicko’s faction; French forces mid-April said operation killed two jihadists, captured eight and transferred about ten suspects to Burkinabè authorities; one French soldier killed 5 April. French forces 29-30 April killed or captured over twenty suspected militants near Burkina Faso-Mali border. In 28 March-6 April trial of former presidential guards accused of carrying out Jan 2016 attack against Yimdi arms depot, two sergeants sentenced to seventeen years’ prison and thirteen others to ten years. President Kaboré 27 April appointed six new high-ranking military officials, including army chief of staff and land army chief of staff.

Insecurity continued to worsen in Sahel region in north: in Soum province, teachers 1 March left schools in Diguel to demand better security; unidentified assailants attacked school in Kourfayel 3 March, teacher and one other killed; attackers 14 March burned down school in Baraboulé. Armed men 3-4 March threatened schools in neighbouring Bam province in Centre-North region. Sahel region governor 6 March banned vehicle traffic along border with Mali from 5pm to 6am daily for security reasons. Military 23 March killed Harouna Dicko, member of jihadist group Ansarul Islam, and arrested eighteen others in Petega, Soum province. At ruling party Movement of People for Progress (MPP) congress 11-12 March, assembly speaker Salif Diallo elected party president. Army 24 March said emir of jihadist group al-Murabitun Malian Ould Nouiny, known as El Hassan, was behind Jan 2016 Ouagadougou terror attacks.

Insecurity in Sahel region in north continued. Municipal councillor from Nassoumbou town and his five-year-old son killed 4 Feb in Yorsala village, Loroum province, where they had fled following threats by alleged jihadists. Military 2 Feb found cache of weapons, food and petrol in Nassoumbou area. Assailants 27 Feb attacked police posts in villages of Tongomayel and Baraboule in Sahel region, injuring police officer. Attempt by Koglweogo civilian community defence group to operate in Solenzo, Banwa province in west 11 Feb raised tensions with traditional Dozo hunters. Heads of state of G5 Sahel (Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad) in Bamako 6-7 Feb pledged to create joint task force to fight terrorism. In limited govt reshuffle 20 Feb security and territorial administration ministry split into two; Security Minister Simon Compaoré kept security portfolio and Jean-Claude Bouda named defence minister.

Insecurity in north persisted. Following attack on security forces at Nassoumbou mid-Dec reportedly by new jihadist group Ansarul Islam led by Burkinabè preacher Malam Ibrahim Dicko, gunmen allegedly linked to group 1 Jan killed imam in Sibé and seriously injured man in Djibo, both in Burkina Faso’s Sahel region; both targets were former members of Dicko’s group. Gunmen 10 Jan attacked mining site in Kerboulé, Sahel region stealing motorbikes. Military 13 Jan killed one civilian and wounded two others in Banh, North region. Armed men 25 Jan ordered teachers in Baraboulé, Sahel region to teach Islam exclusively. Govt, Mali and Niger 24 Jan agreed to create joint military force to counter insecurity in border areas in Liptako-Gourma zone. Constitutional commission 10 Jan presented draft constitution which would reduce presidential powers and limit presidential terms to two and MPs’ terms to three.