In Burkina Faso, power seems overwhelmed by growing insecurity

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A new attack on a gendarmerie post in the north has left around 30 dead

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Burkina Faso is once again in mourning after a new jihadist attack on security forces in the north of the country. It left at least 28 dead among the gendarmes, supposed to protect civilians. It is one of the deadliest of its kind since the country has faced the jihadist actions that began in 2015.

What happened ?

The assailants attacked Sunday, November 14 at dawn the gendarmerie in Inata, in northern Burkina Faso, a post grouping a hundred men. The attackers who came in pick-ups or motorcycles opened fire killing around 20 people. The gendarmes “resisted and fought bravely“Says Maxime Koné, Minister of Security. According to RFI, the Air Force was asked to recapture the site. Two days earlier, seven police officers had been killed in another attack in the same region. The multiplication murderous attacks against the security forces particularly worries the Burkinabè, as the newspaper Le pays.

“The pain is intense and the Burkinabè are wondering. What is not working so that we continue to suffer such great losses within our Defense and Security Forces.”

Le Pays, Burkinabè newspaper

November 15, 2021

Misunderstanding and anger

The Burkinabè do not understand why their country is so fragile in the face of jihadist groups affiliated with the Islamic State or Al Qaeda organization. Since 2015, the attacks have been on the rise and target both civilians and the seemingly helpless security forces. Lack of means ? Policy error? Questions multiply and anger roars. The opposition recently demanded “urgent measures” in front of the “continuing deterioration of the situation” and even gave President Kaboré a month-long ultimatum for things to change.

“A war without mercy”

Burkina Faso has been plagued by violence since 2015 with recurring jihadist attacks that have left at least 2,000 dead and more than 1.4 million displaced in a country of nearly 21 million inhabitants. President Roch Marc Kaboré had promised results in the fight against terrorism. Despite significant training and training efforts in recent years, Burkina Faso’s armed forces still do not appear to be able to stem the spiral of violence and restore security. In a message posted on Twitter, the head of state denounces “a merciless war“imposed by”the forces of evil“and ask the Burkinabè to remain united. A message that will probably not be enough to reassure them.


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