Burkina Faso's military leaders mark four years in power

People gathered in Ougadougou’s Place de la Révolution on Wednesday night to mark four years since Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a coup.

The culmination of anniversary celebrations, they paid tribute to the armed forces and the military government’s achievements in Burkina Faso.

One resident, Abdoul Rasmané Sawadogo, said military leaders have created an “ultra-modern army that meets expectations”.

“As part of the fight against terrorism, we have seen that we have established numerous Rapid Intervention Battalions, we have reorganised the army,” he said.

But despite perceived successes, the country remains under pressure from jihadist groups, with large parts of the country affected by violence and some towns facing blockades.

However, from security through to health, education, agriculture, industry, and road infrastructure, many development projects have been carried out over the past four years.

“Work is being done on the ground,” said journalist and political analyst, Issouf Ouédraogo.

“The proof is that when you travel throughout Burkina, you can see a radical change, whether in terms of morale or infrastructure, and many other things besides.”

He said the authorities were also “in the process of instilling in the Burkinabe a sense of sovereignty … a sense of relying on ourselves”.

However, Ouédraogo believes there is a mixed record in other areas, including corruption, freedom of expression, and human rights.

“There are also areas for improvement, particularly in certain sectors – the fight against corruption, and freedom in our dealings with one another,” he said.

“For me, this means really working to ensure that all people in Burkina Faso can enjoy greater equality before the law,” said Ouédraogo.

The government says that more than 1.3 million people internally displaced by insecurity have returned to their home towns.

Ouédraogo believes this figure needs to be improved on, in collaboration with Mali and Niger, which together with Burkina make up the Alliance of Sahel States.