This week, according to the authorities, Burkina Faso began a recruitment campaign to find 50,000 civilian defense volunteers to aid the army in combating jihadists.
Since 2015, the nation—one of the world’s poorest—has been fighting a devastating terrorist insurgency.
Since the beginning of the year, Burkina Faso has had two coups, with each new government blaming the one before them for failing to stop the bloodshed.
Late last month, Captain Ibrahim Traore became the most recent figure to assume leadership, appointing a new transitional government on Tuesday night.
Colonel Boukare Zoungrana declared additional civilians would be recruited to fight back the armed organizations just before being named minister of territorial administration.
“Recruitment has been launched for 35,000 volunteers for the defence of the nation” from different districts, he said.
Their mission “will be to protect the population and belongings of their districts alongside the security forces,” he added.
The government had already stated on Monday that it would create an army of 15,000 additional volunteers “who might be deployed over the entire national area.”
Since 2020, the so-called “volunteers for the defense of the nation” have been recognized by law.
Normally, recruits train for a fortnight before being given weapons and communication equipment.
Jihadist attacks have claimed several lives, particularly in the north and east of the nation.
Beyond the civilian volunteers, the military is also looking to hire 3,000 more soldiers to boost its ranks.
Jihadists control around 40 percent of Burkino Faso’s territory.
In the latest assault on Monday, at least 10 Burkina Faso soldiers were killed in the northern city of Djibo.
