Burkina Faso

Main article: Africa

Population

Main article: Population of Africa

Number

2023:22 million people

As of 2023, Burkina Faso has a population of about 22 million, of which approximately 2/3 of the population live in rural areas.

The population of Burkina Faso is characterized by high density, multinational and diverse cultural traditions.

People

Burkina Faso's largest people are Mosi. As of 2023, they make up about 40% of the country's population.

Gourma is the second largest people. They live east of the capital Ouagadougou. T

Also, many other ethnic groups live in the country, including Dyaul, Busa, Turk, Lobi, Senufo, etc.

Tuaregs

Main article: Tuaregi

The average age of Burkina Faso's population is about 18, suggesting that the country has a young population.

Migration

2021: Net outflow over 4 years

Marriages

2022: It is allowed to have more than one spouse

Overweight

Mortality

2018: Number of deaths in road accidents

2016: Very low number of opioid deaths

Economy

GDP $734 per person

Currency: CFA franc

Main article: Frank CFA (CFA)

Inflation

Inflation in November - 16.5%

Foreign trade

2023:38% of wheat supplies come from Russia and Ukraine

Minerals

2024: Which companies lead the way in mining

The extractive industry in Burkina Faso in 2024 is the most developed of all. It includes the extraction of gold, manganese, zinc, tin, bauxite, iron ore, copper and lead. Gold is the main mineral resource of the country, its share in exports is about a third. The main gold mining companies in Burkina Faso are SEMSSA, Endeavor Mining and Nexus Gold Corp.

Manganese mining, which is carried out by Pan African Minerals, also plays a significant role in the country's economy. The extractive industry accounts for more than 20% of Burkina Faso's GDP and is of great importance to the country's economy.

2022:1 million people involved in small-scale mining

2016: Islamists restart gold exports

In 2016, al-Qaeda and Islamic State-linked movements seized hundreds of semi-abandoned and artisanal gold mines in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, becoming security guarantors and resellers for millions of illegal prospectors. They declared the collection of zakat from prospectors a "halal" practice and - to the great delight of local residents - abandoned the increasingly less profitable abductions for ransom.

Precious metal mined at the mines they control is sent to Togo, and from there it is transported to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Switzerland and India. As the Zangaro Today telegram channel wrote, in just one year, jihadists became the main employers for residents of remote and depressed desert districts, got rich by $2 billion and found an inexhaustible source of recruits in mines and in the surrounding settlements, welcoming bans on alcohol and prostitution and distribution of alms among those in need.

2012: Fourth place in Africa in gold production

In 2012, Burkina Faso was the fourth largest producer of gold in Africa.

Transport

The length of railways in Burkina Faso for 2024 is 386 km. Ouagadougou Airport. Access to the ocean by rail via Kot-d.

In Burkina Faso at this time, the main mode of transport is buses, taxis and motor taxis. Bus service is well developed domestically and has a fairly high frequency of flights. Intercity bus routes connect major cities and localities. Buses are usually cheap, but not always comfortable, as road repairs in the country are not always carried out regularly.

Taxis are one of the most common modes of transport in Burkina Faso, especially in the capital Ouagadougou. Taxi prices can vary depending on the route and time of day, they can be discussed before traveling or agreed on the spot. At the same time, it is not always possible to get to remote areas of the country by taxi, and in this case it is better to use other modes of transport.

Mototaxi is another common mode of transport in Burkina Faso, especially in provincial towns and villages. They are faster and more agile, but not always safe and comfortable. They are offered as a short-distance means of transportation, and can also be used to transport passengers to the city center or to a public transport station.

It is possible to rent a car from local rental companies, but they are not as common as in other countries in Africa. Motorcycles are also popular with citizens and villagers.

R&D

2020: R&D costs - $40M

Burkina Faso IT Market

2022: More than 1 start-up

Agriculture

2023: Majority of population engaged in agriculture

The majority of Burkina Faso residents are engaged in agriculture and livestock breeding as of 2024, but recently more and more young people have been leaving for cities to get higher education and work in industry, construction and trade.

2019: Low use of pesticides in agriculture

Consumption

2023: Pork is the most consumed type of meat

2019: Average rice consumption: 34.5 kg per person per year

2018: Vegetable consumption - 16 kg per capita

Power

2020: Very low energy consumption per capita

and

2019: Electrification rate just 22%

Industry

The industry in Burkina Faso, in 2024, is mainly focused on the production of food and drinks, textiles and clothing, as well as wood and leather products. It accounts for about 10% of the country's GDP. Among the largest enterprises in this industry can be called the company "Faso Cotton," which is engaged in the production of cotton yarn, as well as "Brakina," which produces various drinks.

Heavy industry in Burkina Faso is in its early stages of development. The country has several cement plants and gold processing plants that operate in deposits of this metal, but the overall contribution of this industry to the economy of Burkina Faso is insignificant.

Education

2019:36% of the population can read

The level of education in the country remains low, and many people do not have the opportunity to get it.

Health care

2021: Maternity leave

in

2020

Duration of guaranteed paid sick leave from 3 to 5.9 months

Part of the population defecates on the street

MEDIA

2024: Authorities in the country suspend broadcasting of Voice of America and BBC News Africa

In April 2024, the authorities of Burkina Faso suspended broadcasting in the country Voice of America and BBC News Africa, previously the same decision was made in relation to French media

This happened after the stories about the Human Rights Watch report were broadcast on VOA and the BBC. In it, the Burkina Faso army is accused of killing 223 civilians.

2023: Suspension of French media

In 2023, the activities of French media were suspended in the country: LCI and France24 TV channels, Radio France Internationale radio, Le Monde newspaper and Jeune Afrique magazine.

In April 2023, France 24 TV channel stopped broadcasting in the country. Also, two journalists from the French publications Le Monde and Liberation were expelled from the country.

The authors of Liberation noted that the decision to deport followed the publication of an article on the murders of children and adolescents in Burkina Faso barracks.

Culture

Cinema

In the film "The Law of Honor" (Tilai, 1990), the Burkinian Idrissa Ouedraogo is already a rather elderly father who marries the young girl of his son, who was long absent from the village, apparently on earnings. But the hearts of two young people cannot be ordered, and love turns into a tragedy that splits two families, the shame of which can only be washed away with blood.

In another film, "Grandmother" (Yaaba, 1989), Ouedraogo tells the touching story of the friendship of two village children with a lonely elderly woman living on the outskirts, whom their relatives declared a sorceress and ostracized.

Police

2024: Africa's best police force

In early 2024, the Burkina Faso National Police topped the list of the most professional and effective police forces on the African continent.

The gendarmerie (part of the armed forces) and the police, which are divided into national and municipal, are responsible for maintaining law and order in society in Burkina Faso. The first is under the direct administration of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security, the second is under the administration of the mayor of the city.

The National Police has been led by Inspector General Roger Ouedraogo since April 27, 2022.

Crime

Prisons

2019: The minimum age for children to be jailed is 13

2018: Very low number of prisoners per 100,000 citizens

Terrorism

• Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

History

2024

Barsalo massacre

The rainy season that began by the end of the summer of 2024 slowed down the pace of counterterrorism operations in the country. Combined air-ground operations were suspended, which was used by anti-government groups, which carried out several attacks throughout the country.

However, the largest attack was directed at civilians. Near the city of Barsalo, the armed forces attracted local residents in order to build a security perimeter - such a system of fortifications had previously been built in the north and west, it remained only to complete the eastern borders.

Several militias from the Volunteers for the Salvation of the Motherland were guarded by 300 workers. During their work, they were attacked by about a hundred militants of the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim (DNIM) affiliated group, who killed more than two hundred peasants.

This incident raised serious concerns around security in the area. Unfortunately, the situation in the country is really getting worse.

A notable event on the external political circuit was the non-participation of President Ibrahim Traore in the Sino-African forum - a similar decision was previously made by his Malian counterpart Assimi Goita.

Instead, talks were held with neighbours from the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS). The parties announced joint efforts to combat terrorism, which is especially important against the background of DNIM attacks in previously "uncharacteristic" areas for it in the north of Benin and Togo.

In general, the latest events in Burkina Faso are not in favor of government troops, wrote Rybar. At the same time, in the medium term, the situation may change - the African Corps is in the process of deployment and is only preparing new forces, and the government is relatively successful in recruiting volunteers.

Leaving ECOWAS

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional organization established in 1975 to strengthen economic cooperation between West African countries . In January 2024, Burkina Faso decided to leave the organization. The peoples of Africa are shedding the yoke of French neocolonialism.

About 100 military specialists arrived in the country from Russia

Russian troops have begun deploying to Burkina Faso to bolster security.

The first units of the African Corps of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, together with transport equipment and weapons, arrived in Burkina Faso on January 25, 2024. Personnel from 100 Russian military specialists will ensure the security of the President of the transitional government, Ibrahim Traore.

Back at the end of December 2023, a group of servicemen arrived in the country, who were preparing a base for the deployment of a military contingent.

The tasks of the Russian military, the number of which in the near future should increase to 300 people, will also include support for anti-terrorist operations and training of local military personnel.

Given that Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali are part of the Sahel Alliance and are preparing a platform to create a single federation, Burkina Faso is likely to become a point of attraction and the main coordination center.

At the same time, the matter is not limited to the military sphere - Russian media specialists have already begun to work in the country, whose task will be to compete with the French media and form a loyal information field, the Rybar channel wrote.

2023

Putin's meeting with Traore in Moscow

Refusal to condemn Russia in the conflict in Ukraine

French army finally left Burkina Faso

On the afternoon of February 19, 2023, the last group of French troops left the Bila Zagre military camp in the northeast of the capital Burkina Faso. Aviation was withdrawn at the beginning of the month, so the entire last week of the French exported the Ukrainian An-124, performing 1-2 flights per day.

Authorities in Ouagadougou have recently faced particularly fierce resistance from radical Islamists. Therefore, now the government's main focus is on finding new allies and purchasing weapons, including the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAVs. Along with this, the militia is being mobilized: it is important for the population to see an active fight against terrorism, unlike the one that was before. The current military regime has a year and a half before the next elections to justify its tactics, the Rybar channel wrote.

Termination of the agreement on the presence of the French armed forces

In January 2023, anti-French sentiments intensified in the country. A mass demonstration was held in the capital Ouagadougou, whose participants called for the withdrawal of French troops and the expulsion of Ambassador Luc Allad. During the action, the crowd burned French flags and shouted anti-colonial slogans.

At the same time, demonstrators carried images of Russian President Vladimir Putin through the streets of the city, as well as portraits of the leaders of Mali and Guinea.

Burkina Faso's government has terminated an agreement governing the presence of French military forces on its territory since 2018. Within a month, the French Armed Forces must leave the country. Presumably, the troops will be transferred to Niger, whose authorities are still patient with the presence of the French contingent.

2022

Start of work in the country of the Russian PMC "Wagner"

At the end of 2022, rumors began to diverge about the appearance of PMC Wagner in Burkina Faso. Wagnerites really started working in the territory, but the Burkina Faso government has so far denied this fact, the Rybar channel wrote.

The government continues to lose territory under the onslaught of terrorists and gathers militia

By the end of November 2022, the government continues to lose control of the territory under the onslaught of rival groups of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, Ansar ul-Islam and Makina Liberation Front attacking from the north (it joined Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam val Muslim).

Over the past few weeks, terrorists have devastated a number of settlements in the province of Bam, located less than 100 km from the capital Ouagadougou.

The country's leadership called on civilians to join the ranks of "Volunteers to Defend the Fatherland" in order to repulse terrorists in those areas where the army does not have sufficient resources. At the moment, it is reported that more than 90 thousand such militias have already been recruited from the original plan of 50 thousand. However, the lack of a holistic training system affects their effectiveness.

Anti-French sentiments are growing more and more. After another demonstration in the capital, the embassy France switched to a state of siege, limiting its activity.

French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecorneu in his interview announced that he did not rule out the withdrawal of French troops from Burkina Faso.

Ouagadougou is in no hurry to turn to major powers, preferring to this attempts to build a regional configuration to combat extremism. At the same time, the Malian experience is of great interest to the new administration of Burkina Faso, as evidenced by the recent mutual visits of the delegations of the two countries.

Renewed anti-French protests

On November 18, 2022, mass demonstrations against the French presence began again in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. Several hundred people went to the embassy France demanding the ambassador to leave the country.

The people who went to the rally also insisted on the withdrawal of French troops from the territory of the state. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Russian flags were seen among the protesters and calls were heard for Burkina Faso authorities to follow Mali's example of cutting ties with France for closer ties with Moscow.

The unrest is associated with rumors that the new Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Apollinaire Joachim Kiel de Tambela, intends to maintain relations with the government in Paris. Even before taking office, he spoke about the inadmissibility of severing relations with France in favor of Russia. In his first interview as prime minister, the politician also hinted that he would not allow the street to dictate conditions.

Against the backdrop of the completion of the French Operation Barhan and the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso, social tension is growing. And the most convenient "lightning rod" in this situation has again become: France as in Mali, people accuse the French of spreading the influence of terrorist groups in the country due to inaction in the fight against them over the past 10 years.

The authorities in Burkina Faso are in a difficult situation: the termination of relations with the former metropolis will lead to a decrease in aid from Paris and will inevitably cause new economic difficulties. At the same time, the preservation of previous ties with France may lead to a "Malian scenario," when the discontent of the street will lead to a new military coup with the full support of the public, noted the Rybar telegram channel.

Jibo attack by 500 Islamic radicals: 10 troops killed

On the morning of October 24, 2022, the base of the 14th combined arms regiment in the city of Djibo in the north of the country was attacked. According to preliminary information, about 500 militants took part in the attack.

As a result of the clash, 10 servicemen were killed and 50 were injured, 18 terrorists were eliminated.

This is the second coup in a year, the reason for which was the powerlessness of the authorities in the fight against terrorism. Smuggling networks, arms trade and illegal gold mining are active in the territories bordering Mali and Kot-d.

Armed groups seek to expand their areas of influence in Niger, Benin and Togo. The number of attacks by radical Islamists has grown several times compared to last year.

About 40% of Burkina Faso's territory is beyond government control, and the national military is among the least capable in the region and unable to act alone.

Damiba resigns and flies to Togo

On Sunday, October 2, 2022, the new leadership of Burkina Faso said that the situation in the country was under control, and urged people to refrain from acts of vandalism against the French embassy.

On the same day, specifics appeared about the future of Damiba. During the talks, which were held through intermediaries with Captain Traore, the former interim president agreed to his resignation in order to "avoid clashes." But he set the leader of the putschists "seven conditions," including:

• guarantees of refusal to prosecute and otherwise prosecute Damiba and his supporters.

• action towards national reconciliation;

• compliance with the earlier commitment made to ECOWAS to restore constitutional order in Burkina Faso by July 1, 2024, with free presidential elections.

The putschists, led by Traore, accepted the conditions, Damiba signed the necessary papers and in the evening of the same day was already in Togo, neighboring Burkina Faso.

The second military coup in Burkina Faso in a year was expectedly condemned:

• African Union,
• European Union,
• ECOWAS,
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres,
• U.S. State Department.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on all participants in the internal political process in Burkina Faso "to show restraint in order to preserve internal security and socio-economic stability" and expect that "the new leadership of the state will adhere to the line on the speedy return of the country to the constitutional order."

Looking at the situation in neighboring Mali, the population of Burkina Faso also wants to get rid of any French influence in their country and enlist Russia's support in the fight against terrorist organizations. And anti-French rallies, at which demonstrators have traditionally marched with Russian flags, are another confirmation of this.

Burning the French Embassy

One of the first consequences of the coup in Burkina Faso was the burning of the French embassy by an angry people in early October 2022. Paris protests, but the putschists did not express regret. Moreover, they said that cooperation in the fight against terrorism is more interesting for them to conduct not with France, but with other countries. Including with Russia.

If France fails to organize a counter-coup, then events threaten to repeat the scenario of the CAR and Mali, where Paris lost control of the local government and was forced to withdraw its contingents. By the way, it was the issue of security that became the last straw, which led not only to the coup, but also to a change in foreign policy orientation - Paris was unable to help the country in the fight against terrorists torturing the country.

It should be noted that a positive example of the interaction of African countries with Russian PMCs, which provided effective assistance in the fight against terrorism, played an important role in shaking the neocolonial empire of France. Now Niger is also looking towards Russia, which makes Paris nervous - local uranium is critical for France nuclear power.

Military coup and overthrow of pro-French Damiba due to the failure of the fight against terrorists

On the morning of September 30, 2022, it became known about the second military coup in Burkina Faso in a year. After hours of gunfire, military personnel blocked the Ouagadougou administrative center, seized the Baba Si military base and took control of the state broadcaster's studio.

In the afternoon, the president of the transitional council, Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, said that "the military created a confusing situation" and announced negotiations with the rioters. By 19.00, the leaders of the uprising led by Captain Ibrahim Traore went on the air.

Muslim Traore is 34 years old, he is a captain of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces with great authority among other military personnel.

After graduating from the University of Ouagadougou in 2010, he went to serve in the artillery regiment stationed in the city of Kaya.

In 2014, he received the rank of lieutenant, and in 2020 - captain.

Since the emergence of the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration, he has been a member of the organization, and in March 2022 he was appointed commander of an artillery regiment.

Ibrahim Traore proved himself during the 2019 Otapuanu military operation in the Eastern Region. He also participated in hostilities against terrorists in the Sahel region and in the north of Burkina Faso.

Along with other participants in the new coup, he accused Colonel Damiba of a "dangerous choice" that gradually weakened the country's security system.

"The bureaucratic red tape that characterized the fallen regime intensified during the transition period, which threatened strategic operations," the statement says.

The putschists announced the removal of Damiba, the introduction of a curfew, the dissolution of the government, the closure of national borders and the suspension of the Constitution and Road Maps for the transfer of power.

In parallel, spontaneous rallies were held on the outskirts of the capital in support of the next coup. Protesters with Burkina Faso and Russian flags called Damiba a "traitor" and demanded to turn to Moscow for help in the fight against jihadists. Which, in truth, has already become a local tradition.

One of the main reasons for the overthrow of Damiba by his own colleagues from the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration, no matter how trite it may sound, was the complete failure of his program to combat terrorism.

After Damiba came to power, the army could not contain the offensive of terrorists.

From February to August, 274 servicemen and civilians were killed as a result of terrorist attacks and attacks by Islamists.

The influence of militants from Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim and the local branch IS spread to 10 of the 13 regions of the country, and the territory of Burkina Faso became a springboard for carrying out attacks on and Benin. Togo

The armed forces did not receive the promised re-equipment of foreign equipment.

In addition to the unpopular reshuffle in the officer environment in September, Damiba assumed the authority of the Minister of Defense. This, of course, did not turn the tide.

Not the last role was played by Damiba's pro-French position, which, in the wake of anti-colonial sentiments throughout the Sahel, did not bode well for him.

Even before the start of the shooting, rumors appeared that the former president of the transitional council was saved by the units of France on duty a few kilometers from Ouagadougou. According to the same data, from 6 a.m. Damiba was in a certain safe place under the protection of French military personnel.

The security crisis in the country is also the problems of Mali, Niger (and with them the whole of West Africa), since terrorists use the area of ​ ​ three borders to move almost unhindered between countries and recruit new militants among humiliated and insulted local residents.

The city of Djibo is under siege by militants. Dozens dead

Since February 2022, the city of Jibo has been under siege by militants of the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb).

Extremists blew up bridges, thus cutting the main paths to the city, in which about 300 thousand residents were locked without food.

On September 26, a humanitarian convoy of 150 trucks bound for Djibo was ambushed 20 kilometers from the city.

The attack claimed the lives of 37 people, including 27 military personnel. Several dozen drivers are reported missing.

This attack was the trigger for a radical change in the situation in the country (see above).

2020

18 civilians killed in Lamdamol village

The incident occurred in early February 2020 in the northern part of the country, unknown armed people on motorcycles attacked the village of Lamdamol in the municipality of Bani.

Panic is rife in the village and surrounding area, with people fleeing closer to the centre of the country, a local official said. No one took responsibility for the attack.

Several attacks occurred a week ago in the north of the country, one of which killed 39 civilians in neighboring Sumy province, northwest of Seno.

Market attack and killing of 36 civilians

On Monday 20 January 2020, a jihadist attack on villages in northern Burkino Faso killed 36 civilians. Hundreds of people have fled the area to take shelter in neighbouring towns.

"An armed terrorist group broke into the Nagraogo market, killed 32 of our fellow citizens there, burned the market and killed four others in the village of Alamu. Three other people were injured in this attack, "Communications Minister Remis Fulgans told Danjin in a press release.

President Rock Kabore has declared two days of mourning since January 22.

2019

The deaths of 35 civilians and 7 soldiers in Arbinda

In the years after the jihadist invasion, the entire north and east of Burkina Faso became a "red zone."

On December 24, 2019, in the morning, a group of armed persons simultaneously attacked the military and the civilian population of the settlement of Arbinda in the province of Sum.

Burkina Faso's army managed to defuse at least 80 attackers.

Burkina Faso's government has declared 48 hours of national mourning after the deaths of 35 civilians and seven soldiers in the Arbinda attack.

14 dead in Burkina Faso after gunmen attack church

At least 14 people, including children, died on Sunday in early December 2019 in an attack on a church in eastern Burkina Faso's Comonjari province. It is reported by Infowacat, citing sources in the regional security service.

According to them, 12 armed people attacked parishioners, among the dead - a priest and children.

Since 2015, northern areas of Burkina Faso have been frequently attacked by jihadists. Recently, however, armed radicals have regularly launched attacks in the west and east of the country, including at the borders with Benin and Togo. Over the past four years, more than 620 people have died at the hands of militants, including security officials and civilians.

37 Canadian gold miner Semafo workers killed by gunmen

On November 6, 2019, 37 workers were killed and more than 60 wounded in a militant attack on a convoy of Canadian gold miner Semafo in eastern Burkina Faso.

A military vehicle moving at the head of the column was blown up using an IED on a section of the road where there is no cellular communication (the section between the Fada and Boungou mines).

After the explosion, the militants opened fire on the remaining cars.

Five months before the tragedy, workers asked managers at Semafo, a Canadian company, to take them to the gold mining site by helicopter to avoid travelling along a dangerous road where attacks regularly occur. Local workers wanted the same protections as foreign employees.

The meeting, which took place in June 2019, discussed the construction of a runway for the delivery of workers. However, at that time, for safety, the miners were given body armor, which they refused, fearing to attract the attention of the bandits.

Unused vests still lie in the office at the mine.

Yellow-colored zones in the southwest, west and central region, as well as the capital Ouagadougou, turn orange. The borders of Mali, Niger, Benin and Togo are marked in red - the most dangerous areas.]]

At the end of November, no one claimed responsibility for this attack, Burkina Faso President Rock Mark Kabore called the attackers "terrorist groups."

15 civilians killed by armed men

On October 28, 2019, 15 civilians were killed by armed men in the village of Pobe Mengao in the north of the country. The attackers also kidnapped several people, plundered shops.

After the attack, the villagers fled to the largest city in the Djibo region.

Reinforcements arrived in Pob'e Mengao on Sunday evening to patrol the area for several days until the security situation normalizes.

Jihadists associated with al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups have been operating in Burkina Faso for more than four years.

Unknown militants killed 9 people

The incident occurred on Sunday evening October 20, 2019 in the village of Zura, located in the province of Bam. Before the curfew (until 19:00), people in military uniform attacked the village, their faces were covered with hoods.

The victims of the attack were between 50 and 70 years old.

17 killed in attacks

According to the Burkina Faso Security Forces, 17 people were killed in three separate attacks in the north of the country in late September 2019.

Nine people were killed when dozens of armed men attacked the village of Komsilga. The attack lasted for several hours.

Seven were killed in the village of Deneon, one soldier died in the province of Sum.

All the attacks took place on Saturday.

14 civilians killed in terrorist attack

In September 2019, a terrorist attack on a food convoy and a truck in the north of the country killed 14 civilians.

In Sanmatenga province, another truck hit an explosive device, killing 15 people and injuring 6, the government said in a statement.

Hundreds killed, 150,000 refugees

In June 2019, unknown persons killed 19 people in Burkina Faso, 13 were injured.

Militants attacked the northern city of Arbinda and its environs. The military launched a search operation in the area of ​ ​ the attack.

Burkina Faso is in the zone of influence of jihadist groups. Hundreds of people have died in the attacks in recent months, with more than 150,000 forced to flee.

2017

2016: Splicing jihadists with the local mafia and attacks on the state

In 2016, jihadists found themselves in an environment where only a spark was enough for a fire to break out. Having studied the situation, they quickly found a common language with the mafia koglweogo: we have a lot in common, we are not fighting with you, but only the state. The convergence of bandits, jihadists and koglweogo began. At the same time, the same person can easily carry drugs, participate in jihadist raids and graze cattle. They found common ground with some oppressed Fulbe herders drowning in fantasies about the jihadist powers of the past.

Their first victims were everything more or less reminiscent of a hated state - signs, road symbols, police posts, schools, mayors and elders. What did the jihadists do first? They knocked all police and military out of the protected areas, reopened hunting and fishing zones there, and also allowed - for a small bribe - gold mining, poaching and smuggling. The circle is closed, and the raids and strikes of the military only worsen the whirlwind of violence.

2015: Jihadist terrorism surge

Since 2015, the country began to shake terrorist attacks. The fact is that after the change of power in 2014, the odious "Presidential Security Regiment," which was responsible for intelligence, was dissolved. The head of the PPB and the right-hand man of the ousted dictator Compaoré - General Djibril Gyendere - oversaw an extensive spy-intelligence network, brokered contacts and negotiations between the Malian authorities and terrorists, and supported an unspoken persuasion: the PPB does not touch jihadists, and they do not touch Burkina Faso. This system was kept on personal ties, and with the injection of new, little-known people into the jihadist environment, it began to slip, so the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa even named Ouagadouga one of its goals. With the dissolution of the PPB, the resulting gap became nothing at all.

Since 2015, the north of Burkina Faso has been flooded by jihadists, at whose hands over 750 people have died in four years.

Many of the attacks are attributed to the local radical group Ansar ul-Islam, linked to jihadists in neighbouring Mali. But with rare exceptions, none of the groups operating in the region took responsibility for the attacks, the Zangaro Today Telegram channel reported. So rumors spread. And not only in the international expert environment, but also on the streets of Ouagadougou. Many say here that former PPB fighters are behind the attacks, supervised by someone from the entourage of the disgraced Compaoré, who took refuge in Kot-D. The scheme is simple: to bring the country to the point where the Burkinians on their knees crawled to ask for forgiveness, and then triumphantly return to their homeland. Most likely, it was, but it doesn't matter: manual "jihadists" got a taste and became real jihadists.

2014

Overthrow of dictator Blaise Compaoré

For a long time, Sahel storms bypassed the country. So far in 2014, the popular uprising has not been bold by the regime of the long-term dictator Blaise Compaore. Compaore himself is not at all sorry. He was remembered mainly for the overthrow and murder of the revolutionary Tom Sankara, who instantly became a people's hero and saint. And as Compaore was not laundered afterwards, the cynical murder was never forgiven. But no one could predict what followed the revolution.

The Rise of the Mafia

After the resolution in 2009 of the sale of land and the crisis of agricultural communities (see below), uninvited landless youth quickly found themselves in illegal prospecting and smuggling. Cigarettes, ivory, weapons, drugs, all kinds of consumer goods flowed across the borders. The state responded with raids and raids, so the most desperate decided to earn banditry on the roads.

It was getting hotter. Therefore, in 2014, self-defense forces - koglweogo - united against the bandits. They reconciled the gangs, and even co-opted some of the robbers into their ranks. But the leaders of koglweogo did not hide the guns in the cellars and began to rob, extort and manage in their villages. Since the state tacitly condoned them, the authority of the capital's authorities fell below the plinth, and the people's avengers degenerated into a natural mafia - just like the Mexican and Colombian autodefensas.

2009: Land sale permit and gourmet community crisis

Arab geomancy found among the people of farmers a gourmet of grateful and creative students. Only in whispers did they seek advice and comfort, and through bizarre lines and symbols in the sand they answered oracles, wrote Zangaro Today. Gourmet never understood the vulgar Cartesian dualism from French textbooks. Why only body and spirit? A person is formed by six elements that connect him with the spirits of his ancestors and loved ones. One of them is the kikirga, a personal guiding spirit, predetermined by Yemiali - the desire of parents, spouses and ancestors. Therefore, misfortune and attack can be patched up only by finding a gap in the family tree and the connection of times.

The pastoral idyll was eaten away only by the rapid growth of the population and, as a result, pressure on resources. But she would have lived for another hundred years if the land had not been fully owned by the owners by the law of 2009 with the possibility of its free alienation. So metropolitan buyers and racketeers flew to the lands of poor, illiterate and naive heads of communities and households. The trouble is that each seller had up to ten adult children who were left without a livelihood. The invisible pattern that binds generations began to tear. Leaders, elders and even fathers began to blame the conspiracy with strangers.

Sensing the slack in the traditional world, the state aimed to erase the timeless timelessness by clearing the ground for commercial agricultural complexes and reserves. Soon, officials from the Agency for Water and Forest Resources came and began to manage. Here is a protected area, you can't hunt there. And for greater persuasiveness, they placed private guards who did not particularly stand on ceremony with autochthons. And gold mining companies, sensing strength and law, dragged priceless land with wires and perimeters.

The communities of gourmet farmers who remained under the land were thrown into the pastures of fulbe pastoralists, provoking misunderstanding and bloody conflicts. Sanankoya broke up - "joking alliances," which for centuries smoothed out the antagonism of such different peoples, communities and clans.

1984: Upper Volta renamed Burkina Faso

Until 1984, Burkina Faso was called Upper Volta. The name Upper Volta comes from the names of the rivers: White Volta and Black Volta, which at the confluence form the Volta River.

Renaming is associated with:

a) with the fact that in translation into different languages ​ ​ Upper Volta sounds and looks different: Haute Volta, Upper Volta, Alto Volta. To give the country a single name, the Bourkina Faso version was adopted, which is transmitted worldwide either in transcription or in its original form;

b) with a military coup, when the socialist Tom Sankar came to power, he proclaimed a course towards a social revolution, one of the ways to implement which was to rename the state. It was on his initiative that the country became Burkina Faso. For his left-wing views, Sankara was nicknamed "African Che Guevara."

The name Burkina Faso is a fusion of two local languages: Moore "Burkina," which means integrity, and Gyula "Faso," which means Homeland.

1983: Toma Sankara or Africa's Che Guevara is the ruler of Upper Volta

Toma Sankara became the ruler of Upper Volta in 1983.

During the years of his reign (1983-1987), he declared war on corrupt officials and planted millions of trees, halting the advance of the Sahara sands.

Under him, millions of children were vaccinated and child mortality sharply decreased, road construction began, the development of local businesses and even began to discuss the emancipation of women.

His cabinet became the first African government to recognize the problem of the AIDS epidemic.

I did not take bribes. And after his death, it turned out that he had only a rusty Peugeot, three guitars and four bicycles from his property. Convinced Marxist and Levak.

1966: Former French legionnaire Abubakar Sangoulet Lamizana holds coup d'état

On January 3, 1966, Maurice Yameogo, the first president of the Republic of Upper Volta, (now Burkina Faso), was the victim of a coup by Abubakar Sangoulet Lamizana, a former French legionnaire who fought with French troops in Indonesia and Algeria against the independence of these countries.

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