Terrorists Ambush Burkinabe Civilian Militia

The Ansarul Islam group is responsible for several public exections and attacks throughout Burkina Faso, and national security forces are struggling to quell the violence (Flickr).

Unidentified terrorists killed six members of a civilian militia in Burkina Faso on September 5 in the hamlet of Touldeni, about 140 miles east of Ouagadougou. 

Burkina Faso has faced consistent terrorist incursions since 2015, when extremist groups expanded their influence throughout the Sahel. Ansarul Islam, a local branch of the Mali-based militant group Ansar Dine, has caused the most problems in northern Burkina Faso, along the border with Mali. More than 1,100 Burkinabes have lost their lives as a result of terrorist attacks since violence intensified in the region.  

In January, the Burkinabe Parliament established the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP), a rapidly-trained militia designed to account for the deficits of Burkina Faso’s understaffed military. Civilian volunteers undergo a mere two weeks of basic training and a moral investigation prior to deployment. New recruits carry light arms and conduct surveillance missions and patrols.

“It is not a question of making cannon fodder,” says Defense Minister Cherif Sy. “We want to prevent these volunteers from becoming militias.” 

The legislation comes in response to increased terrorist incursions across Burkina Faso.   According to political scientist Stig Jarle Hansen, insurgents have “taken advantage” of local ethnic conflicts in order to recruit more operatives. 

Terrorists in the region have carried out multiple raids on gold mines, triggering a mass economic downturn and giving fighters access to explosives. A government-commissioned report estimated damages upwards of 600 billion CFA francs (around $1.1 billion) since 2016. 

Ollo Kambou of the Burkina Economic and Social Observatory, the author of the report, points out that "money transfer companies and non-profit organisations are the main channels used to finance terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso."

The body of Suaibou Cisse, the Grand Imam of Djibo Town, was found on August 15. Armed forces abducted Cisse while he was returning from Ouagadougou on August 11. Burkinabe President Roch Kabore described the organizations’ targeted killings of Cisse and other religious leaders as “undermining our model of religious tolerance” to sow the seeds for ethnic conflict.

Burkina Faso has received military support from the UN, and French peacekeeping forces have been deployed across the Sahel. The rise in regional tensions sparked the establishment of the G5 Sahel Joint Force in 2015, which consists of counterterrorism units from Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. The G5 Sahel coordinates operations with the aforementioned UN and French forces. 

However, terrorist groups have still spread within the region. Terrorists killed six civilian militia members during a raid on the hamlet of Touldeni, located near Fada N’Gourma, a major market town some 140 miles East of Ouagadougou.

“Several units of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Nation engaged in cleaning up operations,” said Jean-Claude Louari, the mayor of Fada N’Gourma, which is a major market town near Touldeni. Six members perished, two were wounded, and one remains missing. More than 100 volunteers have been killed since January. 

Growing insecurity has fostered a sense of helplessness amongst some in Burkina Faso. “The terrorists have weapons. We’re using rifles and swords,” said Boureima Nadbanka, the chief of a self-defense militia. 

According to a recent report, Burkina Faso has seen a rise in internally displaced persons (IDPs) alongside the spike in terrorist incursions. The violence enacted by terrorist organizations has displaced 100,000 people as of February 2019. Between September 2019 and September 2020, the amount of displaced individuals increased by almost 358 percent.