Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - Burkina Faso

Country Overview:  ISIS-GS and al-Qa’ida-affiliated JNIM operated freely across large portions of Burkina Faso.  Their success in the Sahel generated propaganda victories, provided financial resources, and gave them access to large recruiting pools and experienced fighters—all of which strengthened their global capabilities.  More than 3 million people fled their homes, and another 3 million faced dire humanitarian conditions, increasing the risk of state collapse.  The conflict displaced 300,000 Burkinabe refugees into West Africa.  Terrorist groups used drones for attacks and surveillance.  NIM militants shifted from blockading urban areas to directly attacking military facilities.  Burkina Faso’s terrorism trials produced 99 convictions and 74 acquittals, with courts remanding 15 cases for additional proceedings.  Transition Authorities (TA) President Traoré called upon terrorist groups to lay down their arms and pursued a strategy of “total war” against terrorism, rejecting any kind of reconciliatory dialogue.  During the reporting period, the TA significantly increased the size of its armed forces, adding 10,000 more soldiers to the army, increasing the number of Rapid Intervention Battalions from 25 to 28, and nearly doubling the size of the national militia to more than 80,000, according to the Ministry of Defense.  Burkina Faso remained on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list but made significant efforts to address FATF recommendations.  Customs officials seized more than $5 million in drugs, weapons, and IEDs, all of which were intended to finance terrorism.

2024 Terrorism Trends:  Burkina Faso accounted for more than 50 percent of terrorism-related deaths in the Sahel.  JNIM expanded attacks along the southern border and into the Hauts-Bassins, Center-West, Center-East, and Center-South regions.  Terrorists used IEDs, ambushes, massacres at religious sites, hostage-takings, targeted assassinations, attacks on critical infrastructure, and coordinated raids on security compounds.

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