Burkina Faso has launched a major security operation in Ouagadougou and other parts of the country following the unprecedented militant assaults in neighbouring Mali, as authorities across the Sahel move to guard against any spillover from the worsening violence. In a statement on Tuesday, Burkina Faso’s security ministry urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious behaviour, especially around military barracks, airports, administrative buildings and other strategic infrastructure.
Police and military sources said units had been deployed to key intersections in the capital and would also gather operational intelligence linked to crime and terrorism. A Burkinabe military source described the army as being on a “state of alert,” while stressing that heightened vigilance was consistent with a country already at war with jihadist groups.
The move comes days after coordinated attacks in Mali by jihadists and Tuareg separatists killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara, struck military sites across the country and deepened fears of wider regional destabilisation. Reuters reported that the attacks exposed the fragility of security across the Sahel and raised concerns that armed groups could widen their operational reach.
The fallout is already being felt beyond Mali and Burkina Faso. Niger’s junta cancelled May 1 parades nationwide on security grounds, while Ivory Coast said its borders remained secure but warned it expected an influx of refugees from Mali as a result of the attacks.
