Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso's Army Accused of Preventing Civilians From Leaving Jihadist-Besieged Towns

Ouagadougou — "They say we have to accept dying for the homeland."

Civilians in Burkina Faso have accused the national army of preventing them from leaving government-held towns blockaded by jihadist rebels, forcing them to remain in life-threatening conditions where there is a lack of food and other basic essentials.

For years, insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State have surrounded towns across the West African country, particularly those with military bases or hosting pro-government volunteer groups, cutting off most supplies.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

Yet more than a dozen civilians and aid workers told The New Humanitarian that, in some of these places, soldiers are also preventing people from leaving, hoping to maintain an appearance that their fight against the rebels is succeeding.

"For a long time, we were only aware of the blockade imposed by [jihadists]," said a resident of the besieged city of Djibo. "But for a while now, the military has also been turning back people fleeing areas with serious security challenges."

The person, who is in their 30s, said they attempted to leave Djibo on a military convoy - the main route out given the city is surrounded - but a soldier refused. "He said I had to be prepared to face death just as the soldiers do every day," they said.

Burkina Faso has faced a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade. Though members are affiliated to transnational groups, many fighters are locals drawn in by social and economic marginalisation and grievances against the state.

The conflict entered a new phase in 2022 after army Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a coup, promising to restore security through an all-out military campaign against the rebels, who were estimated to control 40% of the country's territory.

Traoré's administration says it has recaptured significant amounts of territory, reduced internal displacement from a high of more than two million people, and enabled some communities to return to their homes.

Those claims are disputed. However, the expansion of military operations by the state has been accompanied by an increase in army attacks on civilians that rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The government's drive to demonstrate progress - even as jihadists step up attacks in response to military operations - has also made it increasingly intolerant of dissent, and in some cases, hostile to those trying to flee their homes.

"They say we have to accept dying for the homeland," said a shopkeeper from the eastern town of Kantchari, which has experienced prolonged blockades. "How can we, civilians who don't have weapons and who starve to death, respect these rules?"

Pulled from convoys

The allegations of departure restrictions were gathered over the phone and in person, though all sources asked for their names and other identifying details to be withheld to avoid reprisals.

They add to longstanding accusations against Traoré's government of abuses against civilians, particularly those living in areas under jihadist influence, or among ethnic Fulani communities from which the insurgent groups have recruited.

The New Humanitarian could not establish how many people have been prevented from leaving their areas, nor whether they are ad hoc measures from soldiers or a policy from the government, which did not respond to a request for comment.

While some interviewees described being trapped in towns under full-scale siege, others described intermittent blockades, or their movement being constrained by jihadist checkpoints, explosive devices, and occasional incursions and attacks.

It is unclear how many people remain in or have left blockaded towns, though millions are likely trapped. They have developed survival techniques, including urban farming, mutual aid, and leveraging support from families that can send money via mobile platforms.

Arrests and red tape: How Burkina Faso's junta is throttling humanitarian aid

Military rulers are tightening control through access bans, legal threats, and control of data.

Not all interviewees criticised the alleged restrictions. Three people directly affected said they support the army's efforts to defend besieged towns and sympathise with the view that civilians should remain alongside them.

One described Burkina Faso's current trajectory as "revolutionary", a sentiment shared by many supporters of Traoré, who claims anti-imperialist politics and has promoted greater control over national resources and state-led development.

Still, most sources criticised the alleged restrictions, saying people in blockaded towns - enduring severe hunger and surviving on humanitarian airdrops and sporadic military convoys for supplies - should be allowed to leave.

Several sources described recent problems trying to depart Djibo, a town in the north that has been subject to one of the country's longest-running and most severe sieges, as well as occasional attacks by jihadists.

The Djibo resident in their 30s said that in the past whenever somebody wanted to leave the city they could do so under a military escort so long as there was space in the convoy.

Recently, however, soldiers have been stopping them, the resident said. "The military turns you back, and other soldiers even tell you outright that you are the one giving the terrorists the chance to reclaim the land," they said.

The resident said they tried to join a convoy heading to Kongoussi - on the road south to Ouagadougou, the capital - but a soldier threatened them with torture, and said that if they and others left there would be nobody remaining in the city.

Unable to bear the blockade, which contributed to the death of several family members, the resident said they decided to leave via seldom-used rural trails, pretending to forage for leaves and tree bark.

The resident, a construction worker, described conditions in Djibo as "catastrophic", but said people rarely speak out because they fear the government. "Imagine somebody poking at your wound and telling you not to scream," they said.

A second Djibo resident, who is in their 50s, said they were taken off a recent convoy bound for Kongoussi and interrogated by soldiers, who said: "If we are going to die, we are all going to die here together."

The source said they were eventually allowed safe passage because they were visibly sick and because they pleaded with soldiers that they would die if forced to remain.

One international aid worker with knowledge of the situation in Djibo described hearing similar cases from people on the ground, and argued that the alleged restrictions amount to a "double blockade".

"You have one blockade from the armed groups, and on the other hand you also have the government blocking you because they want to show an image that is not the truth," they said. "It is so complicated to be a Burkinabè these days."

Physical force and psychological pressure

In some cases, sources described physical force being used to stop people from leaving their towns. They said soldiers and an armed, auxiliary volunteer force - the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland - were both responsible.

A mechanic from Tanwalbougou, in the east, said soldiers and volunteers stationed along the main routes out of the town have deployed violence after initial persuasion efforts failed.

"If people try to leave, they are intercepted and turned back after a few so-called 'awareness-raising' sessions along the lines of: 'We are here for you. You are indigenous people. You must not abandon your lands,"' the mechanic said.

"If, despite all of that, you insist, force is used," they added. "Some young people who were trying to get to Fada N'gourma (a nearby city) with a military convoy heading there were whipped by soldiers on the spot."

The mechanic said he left Tanwalbougou a few days before Christmas last year on rural routes used by smugglers with experience bringing goods into the town.

The mechanic said he then used the cover of nightfall to slip into Fada N'gourma. Multiple sources said it has been hard to enter the city recently with soldiers framing new arrivals as accomplices of jihadists or jihadists themselves.

The shopkeeper from Kantchari said residents there have carved out new rural paths to escape without the notice of soldiers, who "categorically refuse" people permission to enter or leave the town.

They said an acquaintance, a merchant in Kantchari, was detained while trying to leave the town to source fuel. They alleged soldiers marched him back to his shop before executing him.

A resident of Boulsa, in the Centre-North region, said the military was not openly blocking departures, but that the risks associated with leaving have deterred many from trying.

"Everyone knows that trying to leave is running a huge risk," they said. "If the military catches you, you are dead, because they will label you a terrorist or an accomplice to terrorists."

In Ouargaye, a southeastern town, a resident in their 40s with six children said the military is also not explicitly blocking departures, but that people who leave risk being unable to return.

"The volunteers and the soldiers often say: 'If you insist on leaving, know that as soon as you cross the city gates, we will no longer consider you friends, but rather enemies,"' the Ouargaye resident said.

Some sources said that when they do have permission to leave, they fear bumping into jihadists who frequently accuse people of collaborating with the army or volunteers. Others, however, said the insurgents have not caused them problems.

"If they meet you on the road... they might stop you, ask a few questions, and let you pass," said the Kantchari shopkeeper. "There have even been people to whom the terrorists have offered water and food during their journey."

Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters

Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox

Reputation management

Civilians and aid workers shared different reasons when asked by The New Humanitarian why the military and volunteers have been restricting people's movement.

Both Djibo residents said the government wants to manage its reputation, and that if too many people were seen to be leaving places the military is defending, then it would amount to an admission of defeat.

"I think the government wants to show people that it is working and that they are winning the fight against terrorism," said the Djibo resident in their 30s. "To justify his efforts to retake the territory, this president will stop at nothing," they added.

Two international aid workers said the alleged restrictions fit into a broader government effort designed to downplay the extent of internal displacement in the country and territorial loss to jihadist groups.

Aid groups currently rely on displacement data recorded by the government, but many feel they are politicised to make the situation seem better than it actually is.

Two residents - from Boulsa and Titao - said soldiers are using the population as human shields. They said jihadists, seeking to win hearts and minds, can be reluctant to attack civilians, which makes their presence useful for the army.

"The presence of civilians puts the military at less risk," said the resident of Titao, a northern town, explaining that jihadists often tell the population they "don't want to shed innocent blood".

Several sources said soldiers justify the restrictions by appealing to people's patriotism and sense of duty to their land and country. They said the fight against the rebels is often framed as a collective effort that includes civilians doing their part.

A painter from Ouenga, in the Centre-East region, described the military as offering "good advice" by encouraging people not to leave the town. "Everyone knows we must fight to the death," they said. "We will never throw in the towel and flee."

Most sources, however, were critical of the alleged restrictions and called for the government to be more tolerant of criticism and more honest about the security challenges it faces.

"Hiding the truth is pointless," said the Djibo resident in their 50s, quoting a saying they said is used among the country's Fulani communities: "No matter its size, the palm of your hand can never hide the sun."

Edited by Andrew Gully.

Philip Kleinfeld, Correspondent and Editor, Africa