In Burkina Faso, a curfew has been introduced throughout the northern region, bordering Mali, and in two other provinces in order to fight against jihadists and facilitate the actions of the armed forces, according to official notes consulted on Sunday March 5 by AFP.
“As part of the fight against terrorism, a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. has been established throughout the regional territory […] from Friday March 3 to Friday March 31,” said a note. the secretary general of the governorate of the North region, Kouilga Albert Zongo. “During this period, the movement of people, four- and two-wheeled vehicles, tricycles [triporteurs] and bicycles is strictly prohibited”, he said, inviting the populations “to strictly respect this decision while remaining home at the times and dates indicated.
Two provinces have also instituted curfews, according to notes from local authorities: Koulpelogo, in the Center-East region bordering Ghana and Togo, for the entire month of March; and Bam, in the Centre-Nord region, from March 5 to 20. In mid-February, the curfew in effect since 2019 in the Eastern region, from midnight to 4 a.m., was extended by three months, until May 21 inclusive.
Burkina Faso has experienced an intensification of jihadist violence since the beginning of the year, with several dozen deaths almost every week. Last week, the army announced a “provisional death toll” of 51 dead in an ambush that targeted soldiers on February 17 in the far north of the country. It was the deadliest attack since Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power during a putsch at the end of September 2022.
The violence attributed to groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization (IS) has since 2015 killed more than 10,000 civilians and soldiers, according to NGOs, and some 2 million displaced.
