Burkina Faso/Counter-Terrorism: Deployment of army substitutes, an endogenous response to security challenges
In 2022, when the military regime led by Captain Ibrahim TRAORE took power in Burkina Faso, the number of Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), created in January 2020, was increased to support the regular armed forces in the fight against terrorism. Contrary to the claims of Burkina Faso’s detractors, the VDP represents an effective community response to the country’s security challenges.
This is according to a Burkinabe analyst and teacher-researcher who sought to clarify this issue, which remains controversial among some Burkinabe communities, particularly those outside the country. Detractors label these brave defenders of villages and communities as militias, mercenaries, or outlaws, and accuse them of committing atrocities.
However, since their deployment in the field, the communities benefiting from their services have reported positive results. According to Burkinabe analyst Dr. Missa Millogo, the creation of the VDP, particularly at the communal level, is a form of community recognition and highlights the urgent need to involve them in solving the nation’s challenges, the most pressing of which is the fight against terrorism.
He argues that members of a community know each other and can organize themselves because they know who is a stranger, who is doing what, and who is a thief or terrorist. Therefore, if they take charge of their own security, they can succeed. It is essential to decentralize the fight, empowering even the smallest units of the community, including families, for a more effective struggle.
From recruitment to deployment, including training, measures have been taken to better supervise and protect these civilian volunteers who are committed to the cause of their communities and their nation. These measures include revising the law establishing the VDP, thereby providing a legal framework for the Brigade of Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (BVDP), as well as improving the living and working conditions of VDPs in the field.
As a reminder, President Ibrahim TRAORE implemented these measures by increasing the bonuses and incomes of these brave fighters, thus making the provisions of this new law effective.
