Burkina Faso: What we should know about the extension of the state of emergency
The state of emergency, which has been in effect since March in eight out of thirteen regions of Burkina Faso, knows an extension for six months by the Transitional Legislative Assembly, according to a statement published last Saturday.
The objective for the country, which has witnessed two military coups in 2022 and is currently led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, is to address the recurrent deadly attacks by jihadists that it has been facing for the past eight years.
The state of emergency will take effect from midnight on April 29th until 11:59 PM on October 29th. Officially, this extension aims at «strengthening and consolidating the fight against insecurity and provide more opportunities for the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) to continue their actions», explained the Minister of Justice, Bibata Nebié Ouedraogo before the Transitional Parliament.
Burkina Faso has been caught in a spiral of jihadist violence since 2015, which has been on a steep decline since His Excellency Ibrahim Traoré took power.
To confront this situation, the government has decided to extend the state of emergency since last March to 22 provinces spread across 8 regions, covering nearly half of the Burkinabe territory.
This measure grants administrative authorities or the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) the right to implement a series of measures, including restrictions on movement, dissolution of groups and associations, media control, and requisitioning of goods and individuals for the defense of the nation.
A human rights defender had expressed «satisfaction» regarding the «exceptional measures that may turn into a green light for the authorities to do anything to put an end to terrorism», he said.
Sitou
