Burkina Faso has alleged that there is an “international coalition” against it and a violation of the its air space.
The country, through its defence minister, Colonel Kassoum Coulibaly, also maintained that the Russian mercenary force, Wagner wasn’t on ground for its fight against terrorism.
“A lot of people think it’s the Russians who are guiding us,” said Coulibaly. “But the Burkinabe aren’t children.”
He insisted that Russia was not setting the rules, and “gives us nothing”. It was the people of Burkina Faso who were contributing to the war effort against the jihadist insurgency in the country, he said.
“There is no Wagner here.”
The nation’s intelligence service also claimed that jihadist fighters disguised as soldiers were responsible for the April massacre of civilians, which some rights organizations have attributed to the army.
“We don’t need anyone to send us a single foreign soldier,” he insisted. “We have our VDP,” he added, referring to the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), an auxiliary force.
According to non-governmental assistance organizations, the Burkina Faso crisis has resulted in more than 10,000 fatalities and the eviction of two million people from their homes.
The West African sub-region has suffered organised violence by various terror groups. Non-governmental relief organizations estimate that Burkina Faso’s violence has killed over 10,000 people, forced two million people from their homes, and caused over 10,000 more to perish.
United States deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of West Africa, Michael Heath, recently described the situation in the region as “a significant and burgeoning threat”, particularly in countries like Mali, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.