The Burkinabé authorities are careful to keep the existence of this base a secret. And with good reason: it houses almost a dozen drones, one of the most valuable weapons of the junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré. Located by the world, Who does not want to reveal its exact location, it is located on the southern outskirts of Ouagadougou. Built out of sight starting in 2021, it became fully operational in late 2022, after the man his compatriots nicknamed “IB” took power.
Armed drones from the Turkish manufacturer Baykar (at least six Bayraktar TB2 and two Bayraktar Akinci, the top model) and surveillance drones from the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) take off from its runway. Their mission: locate and attack the jihadist groups that control large areas of Burkinabe territory. Driven by the regime of former president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré (overthrown by the 2022 coup), this use of armed drones was intensified by Captain Traoré.
As in other areas, the young officer in the red beret followed the example of his Malian elder, General Assimi Goïta. Since its coup d’état in Bamako in August 2020, its junta has made drones one of its preferred vectors to attack its enemies, whether they are jihadists or independence supporters. In November 2023, these aircraft played a decisive role in the capture of Kidal from the predominantly Tuareg rebels of the Permanent Strategic Framework (CSP), a highly symbolic victory for General Goïta’s regime. “Drones offer significant operational benefits. They allowed our army to take a leap. Even thanks to them we continue to endure”acknowledges a Malian officer.
“Feed propaganda”
Drones, a military asset, have also become a political tool. They serve the sovereignty discourse of the Sahelian junta and embody the “ power increase » of their armies. On national television news in Mali and Burkina Faso it is not uncommon to see images of attacks with these devices in operation, accompanied by triumphalist comments.
“This fuels the authorities’ propaganda about our supposed superpower with cutting-edge weapons. But the reality is quite different. They do not control the security situation, as shown the double attack [qui a fait au moins 80 morts] in the heart of Bamako on September 17 »attacks a Malian opponent under the pretext of anonymity. Neighboring Niger, the last to join the club of Sahel coup plotters, in July 2023, also widely uses these armed unmanned aircraft.
You have 77.41% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
