Burkina Faso military regime tells citizens to inform on one another

Burkina Faso's junta has called on citizens to report suspicious neighbours and activities and to bolster national security and combat a prolonged jihadist insurgency, Reuters reports. The country’s security ministry issued a statement urging vigilance and asking people to report any suspicious individuals, movements, or objects. It also cautioned against long-term parking near sensitive sites, photographing such locations, or sharing details about security forces, which could assist in terrorist attacks.

The junta, which siezed power in a 2022 coup, faces criticism from rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for alleged abuses, including kidnapping and forced conscription of critics. The ongoing jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, has sparked widespread violence, with both local and international observers accusing the military of serious human rights violations, which the armed forces deny.