The army needs French support to handle the jihadist challenge but public confidence in their security forces is weak
Security sources in Burkina Faso are proud of their retaliation against the jihadist forces that carried out the massacre in the village of Solhan in the country’s east on 5 June which claimed up to 160 lives – the worst attack since the jihadist insurgency began in 2015. Soldiers killed 11 jihadists and destroyed three ‘terrorist’ bases between 14 and 16 June, after another 10 were ‘neutralised’ in the days beforehand. That month, authorities said 100 terrorists were killed in a joint operation with Niger. While they rate their own capabilities higher than other regional forces, such as the Mali army, they need French help – like air cover – to stay equal to the problems and prevent them getting worse.
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