It is a cry from the heart that launched Marcel Ouoba, a young inhabitant of the Tapoa region, one of the 45 provinces of Burkina Faso, in the far east of the country. According to him, the region wedged between Niger and Benin would be left in the hands of terrorists. All schools are closed and economic activity has stopped. “The financial institutions have packed their bags, the markets closed and no mayor can go there yet. The carriers have stopped the traffic and it is no longer possible to return home.”, explained the young man to a group of journalists gathered in Ouagadougou.
Tapoa: “Today we have decided to take our security in hand”, (Van Marcel Ouoba) https://t.co/FkeqpqFa9Z
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Since October 18, according to him, all schools have been closed and the state no longer controls anything in this province of 15,000 km², made up of eight municipalities. “The villages have been successively occupied by terrorists in full view of all.”
The Tapoa region borders the Pendjari Park in Benin. In 2019, terrorists kidnapped two French tourists and their guide there, then retreated to Burkina with their hostages. During the rescue operation two members of the French special forces were killed.
In a report published in early October, the Ministry of Education recognizes the closure of 2 244 schools across the country, or just over 10% of schools. These closures, imposed for security reasons, affect more than 300,000 students.
The young man, somewhat utopian, called for a surge of the country for “to revolt against terrorists“Because the country is more than ever in the eye of the terrorist cyclone. “Al-Qaeda and Daesh-related violence has claimed thousands of lives and displaced more than 1.4 million people in this once peaceful West African country.”, writes Al Jazeera. Between May and August of this year, the death toll increased by 300% compared to the period from January to April (from 80 to 335).
Burkina Faso in turn seems to be suffering from the Malian “syndrome”. Across the country, frustration is mounting at the helplessness of the ill-equipped and under-trained army. Protests are increasing, the population like this young man from Tapoa demands that the government take energetic measures to fight against terrorism.