Burkina Faso Militias Fuel Insecurity, Economic Strain in Northern Côte d’Ivoire

Volunteer militias from Burkina Faso are increasingly destabilizing communities along Côte d’Ivoire’s northern border, heightening insecurity and disrupting local trade, especially among Fulani populations seeking refuge from violence.

Formed to support Burkina Faso’s counterterrorism operations, members of the Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) have turned their weapons on civilians, particularly Fulani herders, accused of having ties to terrorist groups. This has forced nearly 70,000 Burkinabe citizens—mostly Fulanis—to flee into Côte d’Ivoire.

“Our country is in crisis, and the current authorities think that giving people weapons to kill an entire group is the solution,” said Ali Barry, a Fulani nurse who fled Burkina Faso after witnessing the execution of several neighbors.

Ivoirian officials have reinforced security in the north following incidents involving VDP fighters, including the kidnapping of six civil servants in August. While the measures have limited terrorist incursions, fear persists among border communities.

“You can come across VDPs everywhere along this border,” said veterinary inspector Vincent Baret. “As a civil servant, I can’t go out into the bush.”

Local residents report abandoning farms and cross-border markets due to safety concerns. “Before, we used to go to Burkina to harvest wheat, maize and cereals. Now we don’t cross the border,” said Tougbo resident Abdelrahman Ouatarra.

Trade in cattle and agricultural produce has plunged to about a quarter of previous levels, according to local traders. “The problem now is the VDP. We can’t negotiate with them,” said Doropo traders’ association head, Traore Lacina.

Hundreds of Fulani herders have moved their livestock to safer grazing zones, while thousands more have sought refuge inside Côte d’Ivoire. Security analysts warn that the growing presence of young men crossing into Burkina Faso to join the militias could worsen the situation.

“Our soldiers have to deal with VDPs every day,” Baret said. “They’re illiterate militiamen, but they worry us more than the jihadis now.”