Burkina Faso unanimously adopted a law that would allow the recruiting and arming of volunteers dubbed the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP). The local volunteers will act as auxiliaries in the fight against militants and jihadists.
The Burkina Faso Parliament approved the new law as the government said a terrorist group killed 32 civilians in Nagraogo village and four more people in Alamou village in Sanmatenga province in the Centre-Nord Region.
The Defense Ministry said that the volunteers would bridge the gap left by the understaffed defense forces and as such curating more region-specific solutions to the various threats faced by the Burkinabe populace. VDP volunteers would be auxiliaries under military control, and their recruitment would enable the FDS to conduct other operations.
Additionally, the primary role of the VDP is to contribute to the protection of people and property in their village or locality. They will receive 14 days of training in human rights, discipline and weapons, after which they will be given small arms and communications equipment.
The recruits will be expected to conduct surveillance and provide information and protection for their local communities in the event of an attack while waiting for security forces to deploy.
Burkina Faso has been battling an escalating wave of attacks over the last three years, beginning in the North Region near the border with Mali. Attacks have spread to the East Region, near the border with Togo, Benin, and Niger, and to a lesser extent, the west of the country.
