Burkina Army Chief Vows To Press Offensive Against Jihadists

Burkina Faso’s new military chief on Thursday vowed to step up a “dynamic offensive” against jihadists following a string of insurgent attacks since the start of the year.

The impoverished Sahel country is grappling with a seven-year-old campaign by jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

“The dynamic offensive underway in the past few weeks will be stepped up to force armed groups to lay down their weapons,” said Colonel Celestin Simpore after a handover ceremony following his appointment last Friday.

“Certain operations will be carried out in coordination with fellow armies in neighbouring countries,” he said.

“Our fighting forces have crossed a watershed in the conduct of the war, hugely ramping up pressure on the armed terrorist groups,” Simpore declared.

He paid tribute to the “results that have been recorded since December, particularly in the past week.”

“The goal now is maintain this dynamic and reverse the trend definitively,” he said.

Since the jihadists launched their campaign from neighbouring Mali in 2015, more than 10,000 civilians, troops and police have been killed, according to one NGO estimate, and at least two million people have been displaced.

Official figures say jihadists effectively control about 40 percent of the country.

Frustrations within the military led to two military coups last year. The latest junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has vowed to fight back and recover conquered territory.

But the jihadists have carried out a succession of raids and ambushes since the start of the year, inflicting heavy tolls on civilians and military-escorted convoys.

Burkina’s beleaguered army has recently acquired foreign-made drones, and regularly issues video footage of strikes against purported terrorists and troops described as reconquering and securing lost territory.

Simpore, in his 50s, trained at France’s prestigious Saint-Cyr military academy.

He replaces as armed forces chief Colonel David Kabre, who was appointed last year.

Kabre at the handover ceremony said “the first signs of victory are perceptible, and it is now, more than ever, that we have to step up our efforts.”

Source: barrons