The organization bringing together the main trade unions in Burkina Faso, the Union Action Unit (UAS), called on Thursday, April 20, for “the release of all those arrested and enlisted by force” as auxiliaries to the army in the struggle. against jihadism.
On March 23, during a meeting with nationals of Kaya (Centre-Nord region), the transitional president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, admitted having ordered the enlistment of a citizen – without naming him -, the accusing him of leaking information that led to the attack on a “hot spot” near the city, which left at least fourteen people dead, including four soldiers.
In a press release sent to AFP, the UAS notes “degrading treatment” made to the “young man, known to have a visual handicap”, “through the dissemination of photos and video where he appears in [military] uniform, weapon in hand, apologizing to the president of the transition”. According to other civil society organizations, two of their representatives were also arrested and enlisted as Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP, army auxiliaries) after criticizing the management of the transition during a press conference.
The “Excesses of the Authorities”
The UAS condemns the “excesses of the authorities” and demands “the release of all those arrested and enlisted by force for having given their opinion on the progress of the country” and “respect” for the “right to decide on the governance of the country “. “Any accusation of harm to the security of Burkina Faso must be dealt with by justice,” she adds. The union organization also called for “the identification and punishment of the perpetrators and sponsors of threats and hate speech against citizens”.
At the end of March, the Burkinabe Movement for Human and Peoples’ Rights (MBDHP) and the Collective against Community Impunity and Stigmatization (CISC), two human rights organizations, expressed their concern, deploring the ” current trend of the recurrent and systematic denial of the freedoms of opinion and expression of citizens”.
Coming to power in a coup in September, the second in eight months, Captain Ibrahim Traoré on Wednesday signed a decree of “general mobilization” for a period of one year, allowing if necessary the requisition of ” young people aged 18 and over” to fight against the jihadists who are bloodying this country.
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been caught in a spiral of violence perpetrated by jihadist groups linked to the Islamic State organization and Al-Qaeda, which have caused a total of 10,000 deaths – civilians and soldiers – according to NGOs and some two million internally displaced people.
