Insecurity in Burkina Faso: the economic interests are now targeted

38 dead and 60 wounded. This is the official figures delivered by the government following the terrorist attack on November 06th 2019 on the convoy of the SEMAFO Boungou gold mine workers in the eastern region of Burkina Faso. This umpteenth attack on the axis that leads to mining, affected this time the workers. The shocking images being shared on social media once again showed the hideous face and atrocity of these multiple attacks. Inert bodies lying in a pool of blood, bullet holes on cars carrying workers. In the same week only, from 1 to 7 November 2019, several security incidents were reported in the Sahel, North and Boucle du Mouhoun regions. Hardly each other have time to bury their dead, that there is another carnage that occurs.

Following this attack, the bloodiest since the country of the honest people experienced the first attack (January 2016), the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Kaboré in an address to the Nation decreed a national mourning of 72 hours on the whole territory and invited the civilian population, that is to say volunteers to enlist to fight terrorists. It is a question of whether the army no longer has the capacity to fight to the point where civilians are asked to enlist to fight against terrorism. Is this not an open breach for the development of armed militias in these areas in the grip of attacks?

Also over the years, attack’s target have changed and obviously the terrorists are now attacking economic interests, anything that could slow down the economy. Especially since mining, whether industrial or artisanal, is a good part of the tax revenue for the country of honest people. Most of these mines are in risk areas such as the Sahel, North, East, Center-North, Boucle du Mouhoun.

The solution according to some security experts is that the government of Burkina Faso is redirecting its efforts by equipping the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) accordingly. And if the government can no longer guarantee the safety of mine workers in these areas, the mining companies are responsible of their own security by arrogating the services of special forces.