Risks of Burkina Faso’s new military approach to terrorism

This research paper analyzes the risks associated with Burkina Faso's decision to recruit 50,000 civilian auxiliaries into the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) to combat violent extremists. It examines the military reorganization under President Ibrahim Traoré and warns that inadequate training, supervision, and lack of a demobilization plan could lead to increased ethnic violence and uncontrolled armed civilians.

• Following a recruitment campaign that ended on 18 November 2022, 50,000 civilians joined the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP). These recruits undergo 14 days of military training, with 35,000 assigned to their residential communities and the rest deployed nationwide with Security and Defence Forces.
• President Ibrahim Traoré has shifted the national strategy toward military action based on 'popular defence', contrasting with the previous approach of dialogue with terrorists. This strategy includes reorganizing the armed forces by increasing military regions from three to six to cover the most insecure areas, including the Sahel, Boucle du Mouhoun, and eastern regions.
• The massive recruitment of VDPs presents several security and human rights risks, including the potential for ethnic violence if recruitment is not inclusive across all communities. There are further concerns that inadequate supervision and human rights training may lead to abuses by civilian auxiliaries.
• There is a significant risk that the country will end up with a large number of uncontrolled armed civilians if there is no plan for the future demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration of VDP recruits who are unlikely to be integrated into the regular army.

APA

Koné, H., & Koné, F. R. (2023). Risks of Burkina Faso’s new military approach to terrorism. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/risks-of-burkina-fasos-new-military-approach-to-terrorism

Chicago

Koné, Hassane, and Fahiraman Rodrigue Koné. Risks of Burkina Faso’s new military approach to terrorism. Institute for Security Studies, 2023. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/risks-of-burkina-fasos-new-military-approach-to-terrorism.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Koné |first1=Hassane |last2=Koné |first2=Fahiraman Rodrigue |title=Risks of Burkina Faso’s new military approach to terrorism |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=9 January 2023 |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/risks-of-burkina-fasos-new-military-approach-to-terrorism |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kon2023risks, author = {Koné, Hassane and Koné, Fahiraman Rodrigue}, title = {{Risks of Burkina Faso’s new military approach to terrorism}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/risks-of-burkina-fasos-new-military-approach-to-terrorism}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }