Burkina Faso asks France to finance and supply weapons to the VDPs

Ouagadougou seeks to finance the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), for which many Burkinabè have volunteered.

Here, during a recruitment in Ouagadougou, November 16, 2022 (illustration image).

© Olympia de Maismont / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

The day after the first meeting Tuesday, November 29 between the French ambassador and the head of the Burkinabe government Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela since his appointment, a note revealed that Ouagadougou wanted help from Paris for the equipment and financing of Volunteers for Homeland Defense (VDP).

According to this note from the Prime Minister, the latter complained of what he considers to be an abandonment of Burkina Faso in the face of armed terrorist groups.

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With our correspondent in Ouagadougou,

Yaya Boudani

In its note, the communication department of the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso explains that

he was moved by the representative of France

that “

it has been six years since Burkina Faso has been cornered and that does not move anyone

”.

He also told the ambassador that France showed a different concern when it came to helping Ukraine in the recent conflict between it and Russia.

According to this note

, the head of the Burkinabè government told the diplomat that France could help Burkina by providing arms and ammunition and also taking into account the financial support

of the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP)

.

This is the first time that such a solicitation has taken place since the establishment of the VDPs in January 2020.

Officially, Paris has not yet followed up on this request, but diplomatic sources say that France has never supported

an armed force in the region which a priori resembles a militia

.

Moreover, this source underlines that Paris says it is available to put its special forces to work in the fight against terrorism alongside the Burkinabè armed forces.

This is provided that the authorities expressly request it, as stipulated in the agreement that binds the two countries.

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 To read also: 

Burkina Faso: who are the Homeland Defense Volunteers?

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