Burkina Faso

List of Burkina Faso articles

A military truck of the Nigerien security forces, part of an escort to a French military convoy, crosses the Lazaret district in Niamey, Niger, on Oct. 10.
A military truck of the Nigerien security forces, part of an escort to a French military convoy, crosses the Lazaret district in Niamey, Niger, on Oct. 10.

A New West African Security Pact Is Bound to Fail

The Alliance of Sahel States is focused more on stoking anti-French sentiment than fighting violent extremism.

Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso's coup leader, arrives at the ceremony for the 35th anniversary of Thomas Sankara's assassination, in Ouagadougou, on Oct. 15, 2022. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images
Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso's coup leader, arrives at the ceremony for the 35th anniversary of Thomas Sankara's assassination, in Ouagadougou, on Oct. 15, 2022. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images

Will Intervention Stabilize the Sahel?

As coups spread across the region, insecurity is growing—and international military involvement could make it worse.

A French MQ-9 Reaper drone armed with two GBU-12 bombs sits on the tarmac at a military base in Niamey, Niger.
A French MQ-9 Reaper drone armed with two GBU-12 bombs sits on the tarmac at a military base in Niamey, Niger.

Drones Aren’t the Sahel’s Silver Bullet

The weapons may bolster the very rebel groups West African governments are trying to defeat.

A Fulani displaced man works with his son to rebuild their hut in the camp for displaced people of Faladie in Bamako on April 29, 2020.
A Fulani displaced man works with his son to rebuild their hut in the camp for displaced people of Faladie in Bamako on April 29, 2020.

Ethnic Killings by West African Armies Are Undermining Regional Security

By joining hands with militias that target Fulani civilians, state forces risk sparking a wider conflict.

Burkina-Faso-terrorism-Negotiators-podcast-square-site
Burkina-Faso-terrorism-Negotiators-podcast-square-site

Negotiating With Insurgents in Burkina Faso

In the absence of a peace process, community members have engaged directly with rebels. Here’s one negotiator’s story.

Protesters wave flags of Russia and Burkina Faso as they demonstrate against the Economic Community of West African States, whose representatives were expected in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Oct. 4.
Protesters wave flags of Russia and Burkina Faso as they demonstrate against the Economic Community of West African States, whose representatives were expected in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Oct. 4.

Burkina Faso’s Junta Looks to Russia for Support

The country’s second coup of the year could bring yet another African government into Moscow’s orbit.

This photograph taken on December 7, 2021 shows a machine gun over the Menaka camp in Mali for the new Task Force Takuba, a multinational military mission in the troubled Sahel region.
This photograph taken on December 7, 2021 shows a machine gun over the Menaka camp in Mali for the new Task Force Takuba, a multinational military mission in the troubled Sahel region.

Militarizing the Sahel Won’t Make Europe More Secure

The EU’s obsession with security in the Sahel is a reflection of its own anxieties—and a betrayal of its values.

Uniformed soldiers wearing surgical face masks and holding weapons stand at attention.
Uniformed soldiers wearing surgical face masks and holding weapons stand at attention.

U.S. Security Assistance to Burkina Faso Laid the Groundwork for a Coup

Since 2009, the United States has supported the country’s military with funding, weapons, and training.

Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, president of the Economic Community of West African States, (right) makes his way to the airport after addressing the press in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Jan. 31.
Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, president of the Economic Community of West African States, (right) makes his way to the airport after addressing the press in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Jan. 31.

Africa Responds to Burkina Faso’s Coup

Regional organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS suspended the country’s ruling junta. But do they have double standards when it comes to democracy?

A protester walks a camel painted in the colors of the French flag during a mass demonstration to protest sanctions imposed on Mali by the Economic Community of West African States in Bamako, Mali, on Jan. 14.
A protester walks a camel painted in the colors of the French flag during a mass demonstration to protest sanctions imposed on Mali by the Economic Community of West African States in Bamako, Mali, on Jan. 14.

Mali’s Military Doubles Down as Junta Ousts Burkina Faso’s President

West Africa is rocked by yet another coup as the military seizes power in Ouagadougou and holds onto control in Bamako.

Military officials stand by signs with names of Burkinabe soldiers killed in the attack on a gendarmerie camp at Inata, Burkina Faso, at Gounghin Cemetery in Ouagadougou on Nov. 23.
Military officials stand by signs with names of Burkinabe soldiers killed in the attack on a gendarmerie camp at Inata, Burkina Faso, at Gounghin Cemetery in Ouagadougou on Nov. 23.

Violence Spreads in the Sahel

Burkina Faso’s government resigns amid protests and the military’s failure to counter Islamists.

France’s military drawdown in the Sahel is announced.
France’s military drawdown in the Sahel is announced.

France Bids Adieu to Its Military Mission in West Africa

But banishing the neocolonial approach is easier said than done.

Members of the Koglweogo, a self-defense militia, attend an annual gathering in Siguinvousé, Burkina Faso, on Feb 14.
Members of the Koglweogo, a self-defense militia, attend an annual gathering in Siguinvousé, Burkina Faso, on Feb 14.

Biden’s Strategy in the Sahel Looks a Lot Like Trump’s

U.S. diplomacy is back in West Africa—but the United States is also back to its old counterterrorism playbook.

The French Army patrols a rural area in northern Burkina Faso on Nov. 14, 2019.
The French Army patrols a rural area in northern Burkina Faso on Nov. 14, 2019.

France and the United States Are Making West Africa’s Security Situation Worse

France’s unilateralism and the United States’ wavering are destabilizing the Sahel—and creating an opening for Russia and China.

Malian Air Force deputy chief of staff Ismael Wague speaks during a press conference in Kati, Mali on August 19.
Malian Air Force deputy chief of staff Ismael Wague speaks during a press conference in Kati, Mali on August 19.

Mali Needs a Marshall Plan, Not a Military Regime

American, French, and West African leaders must pressure the army to stand down and form an interim government, before a power vacuum and violent extremism threaten the entire region.

A group of migrant men, mainly from Niger and Nigeria, sit in the back of a pickup truck during a journey across northern Niger toward the Libyan border post of Qatrun on Jan. 15.
A group of migrant men, mainly from Niger and Nigeria, sit in the back of a pickup truck during a journey across northern Niger toward the Libyan border post of Qatrun on Jan. 15.

2020 Could be Niger’s Year of Reckoning

The country is home to one of the largest deployments of U.S. military personnel in Africa and is a linchpin of regional stability—but the coming year could throw all that into turmoil.

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