Rewrite this title ‘General mobilisation’ declared in Burkina Faso after series of jihadist attacks

The leader of the military junta has announced a plan to regain 40% of Burkina Faso’s territory, which is currently controlled by jihadist groups associated with Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Despite a horrific wave of jihadist attacks in 2021, the junta declared a “general mobilization” to provide the state with “all necessary means” to counter the insurgency.

The goal is to establish a “legal framework for all the actions to be taken” against the insurgents, according to a statement from the presidency.

Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the transitional president who led the most recent coup on September 30, has announced his intention to recapture 40% of the country’s territory.

Defence Minister Colonel Major Kassoum Coulibaly urged all Burkinabe citizens to unite and contribute to solving the crisis in a statement, but specifics about the plan were not revealed.

A security source informs AFP that the plan includes a “state of emergency” for the affected areas. Additionally, an “advisory” was issued that provides the president with the authority to call people, goods, and services, and to limit certain civil liberties.

In response to one of the deadliest assaults against civilians since Traoré assumed power, Burkina Faso’s government announced a plan to recruit 5,000 additional soldiers to combat the insurgency, which has plagued one of the world’s poorest countries for the past six years.

In the past seven years, more than 10,000 people have died as a result of the violence, and two million people have been displaced from their homes, according to non-governmental aid groups.

(AFP)