Authorities in Burkina Faso announced Thursday a general mobilization to fight terrorist militants who have seized parts of the country.
"This is primarily about giving a legal and legitimate basis to all actions that must be carried out to deal with the situation in Burkina Faso," 360 news portal quoted the government communiqué as saying.
"Faced with this security situation in Burkina Faso, the safety of the nation depends on a surge of national spirit by all daughters and sons to find a solution," stressed Minister of State, Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Kassoum Coulibaly.
"The general mobilization provides an opportunity to apply certain defensive measures throughout Burkina Faso. It also entails the declaration of a state of emergency in the parts of the territory affected [by terrorism]," a source in the republic's security forces told Agence France-Presse.
In addition, the head of state has the right to determine a set of measures aimed at "ensuring the freedom of action of the government, the security of mobilization operations or the activation of the armed forces."
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has become the epicenter of terrorist activity in West Africa. Several international extremist groups operate in the country, including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, which is a branch of the Islamic State (IS, banned in the Russian Federation), and Ansar ul Islam. At least 10,000 civilians and military personnel have been killed by militants since 2015, according to nongovernmental organizations. About 2 million people have been displaced from their homes.
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Photo: Rita Willaert/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS