Burkina Faso: President Ibrahim Traoré:« We were attacked, we defend ourselves and we will defend our territory by all means necessary »

On Thursday, May 4, 2023, on the national television channels, the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, gave an interview to the Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB) and Canal 3. The interview lasted more than an hour, during which Captain Ibrahim Traoré discussed several topics, including the security situation, general mobilization, and warning.

Journalist: After more than seven months in power, how do you feel about this titanic task of reconquering the national territory?

President Ibrahim Traoré: Thank you! As you said, it’s a heavy responsibility, a titanic task due to the difficult security context. But we give thanks to God. So far, we are holding on and we can say that we are galvanized and there is hope because from the analysis of the current situation and the path taken, we are convinced that we are on the right track. Also, considering what the people are showing us, it motivates us.

Journ: During your first major interview with the press, you stated that the war had not yet begun, it was in early February. Today, where are we? Has the war started?

P.I.T: I see that there has been a lot of controversy around this question. I can say today that we are in the introduction phase. We have introduced the war. But for now, it has been introduced with operations that you can see here and there. More intense phases will come as our operational and especially logistical capacities increase.

Journ: Lately, the army has been conducting regular airstrikes against terrorist positions. Is the war only being fought in the air?

P.I.T: No, the war is not only aerial. But it consists of several phases that I cannot describe here. There is an important phase. For each step, you will feel the changes. Today, there are certainly many air strikes, but on the ground, the troops are making progress. As you can see, very often, they are on the offensive against the enemy. It is not only aerial, but we need this phase for intelligence and support.

Journ: Talking about the war and its mission, many do not approve this strategy. It is costly for the Burkinabè people. How do you explain this choice?

P.I.T: We did not choose war; it was imposed on us. We will fight it. War is not more costly than the lives we are losing. So, we have to do it. It’s the only option. I don’t know if you have any alternatives, but for us it’s war. We were attacked, we defend ourselves and we will defend our territory at all costs.

Journ: What is the situation on the ground when we see all these offensives being carried out by the Burkinabe army?

P.I.T: It must be recognized that the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) are engaged. There is the heart and there is the rage. They are even more galvanized by the people. Having been on the ground, I know what it feels like when you feel supported. It motivates us, it galvanizes us, it pushes us forward. This is also the message we give them when we visit them. Watching over their sleep, that is, the civilian populations when they sleep; when they carry out their activities, that is our mission. Everyone who has committed themselves has this in mind.

Journ: Despite this offensive, it seems that the capabilities of the terrorist armed groups are significant when we refer to the attacks on the VDP camp in Ouahigouya and Ougarou. What should Burkinabè think today?

P.I.T: It must be said that for a long time, we made a mistake in undervaluing and minimizing the threat, whether it be the enemy’s strength or its capacity for harm. Often, when we estimated them to be 100 or 200 fighters at most in our operation centers, we were mistaken. We said that was their mobility capacity. Certainly, there is a mobility capacity, but they are also numerous. But we kill many of them. We are not here to tally how many we have killed, but we are aware that they are there. That’s why we are recruiting and equipping ourselves accordingly.

Journ: What is the situation of the territory in relation to the various operations that are being carried out, do we have a good part under our control?

P.I.T: It’s a guerrilla warfare. Terrorism is a war of infiltration. Since certain operations, there are several areas where terrorists are no longer based. But we do not consider them conquered. As I said, there are several phases. There are areas where you can go and not see any terrorists. But we have not allowed populations to return there because we are waiting for a certain level of security before we can be sure to secure the area. This means putting a plan in place before installing them. There are several areas where populations have returned. But there are also areas where populations continue to move. Several factors explain this. Even in liberated areas, we are not yet fully established. We settle with a minimum of caution. The most important thing is to distress the enemy to the maximum. Let them feel that we no longer have the idea of procrastination. We are ready for the offensive. This is the only way to weaken them and allow people to settle down peacefully.

Journ: One observation that can be made today is that most major attacks occur around the organization of large events. What analysis do you make of this situation?

P.I.T: It’s good that we analyze this because this fight is very complex. It’s not just those who fight here, they have their strategists. Of course, there were some attacks before the SIAO (the International Arts and Handicrafts Trade Union). But especially before the FESPACO, there were more important attacks. So, we analyzed it. We knew that with the National Culture Week (SNC), there would be major attacks. We took enough precautions. But we can’t be 100% sure. It’s guerrilla warfare, it can come out of nowhere. But the overall goal sought by their local allies on social media is to create emotion. People have in mind that the black people are   emotional. If you notice, after the FESPACO, they say on social media that while there’s a war, they’re celebrating. The SNC is the same. The terrorist allies on social media just relay these types of messages. So, it’s about creating emotions within the population so that these strategists can achieve their goals. But we are warned.

Journ: The enhancement of the capabilities of the army is a very important point. Where is our place concerning the reorganization of the army in terms of recruitment, training, and acquisition of equipment, which is a major axis for the reconquest of the national territory.

P.I.T: We cannot provide you with all the details because there are some sensitive matters. What we can tell you is that we have a concept that has been imposed on us, which may not necessarily be the right one. Let me give you an example: the conditions for the latest recruitment are different from those that existed in previous years because we asked ourselves some simple questions that you can also ask. When we want to recruit a soldier, we are told that they need to have a primary school leaving certificate (CEP). Someone who has a CEP (in French) is just someone who can read and write French. When a soldier is recruited to become an officer, they must have certificate. 1 or 2 in weapons, and they must be able to read and write in French. We realized that being a combatant has nothing to do with diplomas.

The terrorists, as they are, do not have the first military diploma. This concept that was imposed on us, we have seen that it is not the right one and it needs to be restructured. We need to recreate an army that meets our expectations. When you take the example of Ladji Yoro (rest in peace), he was a fully-fledged officer. He had hundreds of men under his command in combat. But that does not necessarily mean that he knows how to read and write. There are many like him in the VDP (Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland) who have hundreds of men under their command.

There is a conception that we need to have first. So, we need to restructure, reorganize to find other types of units to adapt to the enemy’s mode of combat. Equipment also goes hand in hand with this because people have perverted certain ideas by insinuating that we have said that these are small logistical problems, but we have solved them. When you take the equipment side, not long ago, you had in the army four to five soldiers with a Kalashnikov.

When people were on the field, those who went to relieve them would gather in Fada or Kaya to wait for others to bring back weapons and other equipment before they could leave. But in a few months, we have solved this problem. Today, each soldier is able to have a Kalashnikov and its magazines, a vest, and a helmet. That was the small logistical problem. It is solved. But we were long made to understand that it is difficult to get weapons.

It was a lie. We acquired them in a few months. People are equipped, the VDP (Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland) who go out by the thousands are equipped with vests, helmets, and weapons. You probably see them in news reports from the field. Tactical and strategic equipment will come. That’s why we say we’re in the introductory phase because we’re at one-tenth of what we want.

Yannick H.