Burkina-Faso : The development of the war continues ; Ibrahim Traoré hands over a new batch of equipment to the air force

In his New Year’s address for 2024, President Ibrahim assured that the anti-terrorism war would move to an escalated and amplified level.« We will continue the efforts to reclaim territory and intensify the fight ».

To honor this commitment, just a few days later on January 12th, he acquired a batch of equipment for the benefit of the armed forces. Handing over the keys to these apparatuses, Captain Ibrahim Traoré gave the green light to the Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly, to « begin the long-awaited development of the war ».

These new equipment significantly enhanced the operational capabilities of the combat forces on the ground. This is evidenced by highly significant results on various fronts.

In order to further strengthen the intervention force of the air force, which plays an undeniable major role in this fight, Captain Ibrahim Traoré has just provided a new wave of equipment. The batch consists of a dozen state-of-the-art combat drones, primarily made up of Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akinci.

« These devices have been involved in combat missions. And they are currently very performing, reliable devices », assured the Head of State.

« All tests have been successful; it is therefore a pride to confirm that these devices are joining the fleet of the Burkinabe army », he added, before continuing:

« TB2 needs no introduction. It has proven itself since the beginning of this war, and I think the novelty is Akinci, which has exceeded the technical capabilities that the manufacturer had anticipated. We have subjected it to strong tests in terms of payload, endurance, ceiling, speed, and performance ».

It is important to note that these devices are acquired thanks to various contributions from Burkinabe citizens, who spare no effort to participate in the peace effort.

« Everything you see is thanks to the people that we can acquire these devices, which will increase our operational capacity », rejoiced the Head of State.

The drones are provided by a Turkish company, evidence that cooperation with Turkey is in good shape.

President Traoré took the opportunity of the handover to express the gratitude of the Burkinabe people to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for the support he provides to Burkina Faso during this crucial phase of its history.

Karim Koné