Ten-Year Review: State Party Burkina Faso was among the first 30 ratifications to trigger the convention’s entry into force on 1 August 2010. Burkina Faso has indicated it intends to enact national implementing legislation for the convention. Burkina Faso has participated in several convention’s meetings, most recently in September 2019. It has voted in favor of an annual United Nations (UN) resolution promoting the convention since 2015.

In its initial transparency report for the convention provided in 2011, Burkina Faso indicated that it has never used, produced, or transferred cluster munitions. It possesses no stocks of cluster munitions and has not retained any for training or research purposes.

Policy

Burkina Faso signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008 and ratified on 16 February 2010. It was among the first 30 ratifications to trigger the convention’s entry into force on 1 August 2010.

Burkina Faso said in 2015 that it was drafting implementing legislation for the convention, but, as of July 2020, it has not introduced such legislation to parliament for consideration and approval.[1] Burkina Faso has expressed its desire to prepare implementing legislation and says that the National Commission to Combat the Proliferation of Small Arms (Commission Nationale de Lutte contre la Prolifération des Armes Légères) has facilitated consultations on implementation measures for the convention.[2]

Burkina Faso submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in January 2011.[3] It provided an annual updated report in May 2013, but has not turned in any annual updates since then.

Burkina Faso participated in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions, including the negotiations in Dublin in May 2008.[4]

Burkina Faso has participated in several Meetings of States Parties of the convention, most recently the Ninth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2019.[5] It previously attended the First Review Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2015 and an intersessional meeting in Geneva in 2013. It has attended regional workshops on the convention, most recently in Lomé, Togo in May 2013.

In December 2019, Burkina Faso voted in favor of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that urges states outside the Convention on Cluster Munitions to “join as soon as possible.”[6] It has voted in favor of the annual UNGA resolution promoting the convention since it was first introduced in 2015.

Burkina Faso has voted in favor of UNGA resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2019.[7]

In 2009, the Minister of Foreign Affairs informed the Monitor that Burkina Faso considers that the transit of cluster munitions by states not party through the territory of States Parties is prohibited.[8] Burkina Faso has not elaborated its views on other important issues for the convention’s interpretation or implementation, such as the prohibition on assistance with prohibited acts during joint military operations with states not party, the prohibition on foreign stockpiling, and the prohibition on investment in cluster munition production.

Burkina Faso is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is also party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Burkina Faso has reported that it has no production facilities and does not possess stocks of cluster munitions, including for training or research purposes.[9] Burkina Faso has stated that it has never used cluster munitions.[10]

COUNTRY SUMMARY

New landmine contamination in Burkina Faso is the result of regional cross-border conflict in the Sahel region, particularly in the Liptako-Gourma region which borders Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.[1] Contamination by improvised mines—or victim-activated improvised explosive devices (IEDs)—has been reported since 2018.[2] In November 2023, Burkina Faso stated that it would submit a request in 2024 to extend its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline, in order to address new improvised mine contamination.[3]

Areas of Burkina Faso with the most incidents caused by IEDs and explosive remnants of war (ERW) from 2017–2021 were the Sahel and the Boucle du Mouhoun regions, northern areas bordering Mali, and the eastern region bordering Niger.[4] Central areas were also affected. The contamination has disrupted provision of humanitarian assistance, hindered safe movement of displaced populations, and restricted access to basic services and livelihoods.[5]

Risk education to address the IED threat in Burkina Faso has been conducted since 2020, in coordination with the National Commission for the Control of Arms (Commission Nationale de Contrôle des Armes, CNCA).[6]

There is no specific program in place to assist mine/ERW victims. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided training and equipment to increase the capacity of first-aid responders in 2022. The ICRC also supported hospitals to provide medical care and surgery in conflict-affected areas.[7]

ASSESSING THE IMPACT

Contamination

Landmine contamination

IEDs are reported to have been used in Burkina Faso since 2017, with most being command-detonated. Since 2018, improvised antivehicle mines have increasingly been used to evade the signal-scrambling technology employed by French forces to prevent command-activated IEDs detonating.[8] While the Burkina Faso Armed Forces and international security forces have been the primary targets, the number of civilian victims increased between 2019 and 2022.[9]

In 2021–2022, increased contamination by improvised mines was reported, including types with pressure-plate trigger mechanisms.[10]

When use was first reported in 2017, the areas with the most recorded IED and ERW incidents were relatively localized in five regions: Boucle du Mouhoun, Center-North, East, North, and Sahel. Yet the extent of contamination has since increased, with 10 regions impacted in 2022. The majority of incidents still occur in the Center-North, East, North, and Sahel regions.[11]

Improvised mines, IEDs, and ERW have disrupted the provision of humanitarian assistance, hindered the safe movement of displaced populations, and restricted access to basic services and livelihoods in Burkina Faso.[12] Some humanitarian organizations working in the country have established air bridges as an alternative means of access to affected regions.[13]

Other types of contamination

The extent of ERW contamination in Burkina Faso is unknown, though casualties due to ERW are reported annually.

Casualties

There is no centralized casualty data collection mechanism for improvised mines and ERW in Burkina Faso, and the total number of casualties for all time is not known.

UNMAS reported that from 2017 to 2022, a total of 783 people were killed or injured in IED and ERW incidents in Burkina Faso, with 98% resulting from IEDs (including both command-detonated devices and victim-activated improvised mines). This data was not disaggregated to indicate casualties of improvised mines specifically.[14] 

Casualties recorded by the Monitor in Burkina Faso from 2019–2022 due to improvised mines and ERW are outlined in the following table.

     5-year casualties total: 2018–2022[15]

     Casualties in 2022[16]

Casualty demographics in 2022*

*For 13 of the 66 casualties recorded in 2022, both the age and gender was not reported.

     Casualties by civilian status in 2022

Casualties by device type in 2022

Note: APM=antipersonnel mines; AVM=antivehicle mines; CMR=cluster munition remnants; ERW=explosive remnants of war.

The actual number of mine/ERW casualties in 2022 was likely higher than could be confirmed by the Monitor. More than 135 military IED casualties were reported in 2022, including many that were likely caused by improvised mines. UNMAS reported 456 IED casualties (203 killed and 253 injured) in 2022, up from 206 IED casualties (103 killed and 103 injured) in 2021. In the 2022 UNMAS data, a higher proportion of casualties were civilians compared to 2021.[17]

COORDINATION

Summary table[18]

Note: CNCA=Commission Nationale de Contrôle des Armes (National Commission for the Control of Arms).

ADDRESSING THE IMPACT

Clearance

Highlights from 2022

From January–November 2022, UNMAS suspended its activities with the national authorities, including the CNCA, due to the sensitive political situation in Burkina Faso.[19]

 In March 2023, the CNCA held a workshop to review and validate the National Counter-IED Strategy 2023–2027. The strategy covers clearance, risk education, and capacity development to address contamination by IEDs, including improvised mines.[20]

Management and coordination

Management and coordination overview

Burkina Faso’s national mine action program was established in 2019. In 2020, a Mine Action Working Group was formed. The CNCA was formed in March 2021, replacing the National Commission to Combat the Proliferation of Light Weapons (Commission Nationale de Lutte contre la Prolifération des Armes Légères, CNLPAL) as the national mine action authority.[21] The CNCA coordinates mine action activities in Burkina Faso, with capacity-building support provided by UNMAS.[22] 

The CNCA and UNMAS jointly coordinate the Mine Action Working Group, and mine action was included in the Humanitarian Response Plan for Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022.[23]

 UNMAS provided capacity-building assistance to law enforcement personnel in collaboration with the Ministry of Security, providing training on basic and advanced IED search and detect and first-aid. In 2021, the Ministry of Security and UNMAS developed a counter-IED training module.[24]

Legislation and standards

In 2022, four national mine action standards were in the process of being endorsed.[25] In 2021, an accreditation system for local and international mine action operators was established.[26]

Strategies and policies

UNMAS has supported the Ministry of Security on the development of a national mine action strategy, and works with authorities to integrate mine action into national frameworks.[27]

In 2022, UNMAS reported that the National Counter-IED Strategy, covering 2023–2027, was set to be approved in 2023.[28]

Information management

UNMAS maintains a database of IED incidents in Burkina Faso, and coordinates information management within the Mine Action Working Group.[29]

Clearance operators

Clearance operators in 2022 included the Burkina Faso Armed Forces, the national police, and the military police. UNMAS has provided capacity-building support since 2019, including by training instructors. In 2022, a total of 746 military and police personnel received training on IED search and detect, post-blast investigation, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and first-aid. Of the recipients, 36 were women.[30]

Land release: antipersonnel landmine

No data on clearance or ordnance destroyed was reported by Burkina Faso in 2018–2022.

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline

From the entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty through the end of Burkina Faso’s Article 5 clearance deadline in March 2009, the country was not mine affected.[31] However, in order to address new improvised mine contamination, which has been reported since 2018, Burkina Faso stated in November 2023 that it would submit an extension request by March 2024.[32]

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 clearance deadline

Burkina Faso is a State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It has not reported any areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants on its territory.[33]

Risk education

Management and coordination

Management and coordination overview

Risk education is discussed in monthly Mine Action Working Group meetings, chaired by the CNCA and UNMAS.[34]

UNMAS held a workshop in March 2020 on risk education messaging and materials, aiming to harmonize approaches among operators.[35] Burkina Faso’s first risk education campaign on IEDs—including improvised mines—was launched in 2020 by UNMAS, the Danish Refugee Council, and Committed to Good.[36]

Legislation and standards

A technical note on risk education was produced in 2020.[37] UNMAS reported working with the CNCA to develop a national risk education standard in line with International Mine Action Standard (IMAS) 12.10 on Risk Education.[38] It was pending approval as of the end of 2022.[39]

The CNCA and UNMAS have developed an accreditation system for risk education operators, and five national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were accredited in 2021.[40]

Strategies and policies

Risk education is included within the National Counter-IED Strategy 2023–2027.[41]  

Information management

Data on risk education beneficiaries is collected through the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA).[42]

Risk education operators

There were five accredited risk education operators in Burkina Faso in 2022.

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) implemented direct risk education, in schools and communities in the Sahel region.[43] UNMAS reported to have conducted a risk education campaign, supervised by the CNCA and implemented by a local NGO, in the East and Sahel regions.

Three other local operators covered Boucle du Mouhoun. Operators did not conduct activities in the North and Center-North regions during 2022, although they were among the areas most impacted by IEDs and improvised mines.[44]

Beneficiary data

In 2022, HI reported reaching a total of 14,880 beneficiaries (41% men and 59% women). HI also trained 17 volunteers to provide risk education in their communities.[45]

Other operators did not report disaggregated data. UNMAS reached 32,320 beneficiaries, and trained 326 people to provide risk education in 2022, including NGO staff.[46]

Target groups

 Due to IED use in Burkina Faso being relatively recent, residents of affected areas were often unaware of the risk, signs of potential contamination, and safe behaviors. This was particularly the case for women travelling with children, either on foot or by cart. It was also reported that civilians might adopt negative coping strategies or behaviors that placed them at risk, such as trying to defuse or displace explosive ordnance.[47]

Road and vehicle users were at risk, representing the most casualties during 2019–2022. Local and host communities were at risk in areas of conflict, while refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) were at risk due to movement to unfamiliar areas or upon their return home.[48]

Shepherds and transhumant pastoralists were also targeted, due to their mobility and potential exposure to mine/ERW contamination during livelihood activities. As with IDPs, these groups were difficult for operators to reach due to the unpredictability of their movements, including in areas affected by insecurity that could not be easily accessed.[49]

Children in Burkina Faso were at risk due to picking up and playing with explosive ordnance. Incidents in 2020–2022 reflected a lack of knowledge of safe behavior among children.[50]

Delivery methods

Risk education consisted of face-to-face sessions, the distribution of printed materials, and the provision of safety messages through TV and radio broadcasts. Messages covered improvised mines (including booby-traps), as well as vehicle-borne and command-detonated IEDs.[51]

Victim assistance

Management and coordination

Management and coordination overview 

There was no mine/ERW victim assistance program in Burkina Faso. The establishment of a referral system and provision of services for victims has been reported as a priority for mine action stakeholders since 2020, but no major developments were reported in 2022.[52]

The Ministry of Health oversaw physical rehabilitation services, and coordinated with service providers to implement the National Program for Capacity Strengthening in Physical Care and Rehabilitation.[53]

Strategies and policies

There is no specific strategy in place to assist mine/ERW victims in Burkina Faso.

Legal frameworks or policies on disability inclusion

The Ministry of Women, National Solidarity, Family, and Humanitarian Action is responsible for social protection and disability policies, including implementing the National Action Plan for the Protection and Promotion of Persons with Disabilities (2021–2023), and the National Strategy for the Protection and Promotion of Persons with Disabilities (2021–2025).[54]

Law No. 12 (2010) on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires the provision of affordable or free healthcare, education, and employment for persons with disabilities.^[55]  Yet these provisions are often not enforced, and mine/ERW survivors had limited access to education, healthcare services, public buildings, and transportation.[56]

Victim assistance providers

HI provided physical rehabilitation, psychosocial assistance, and socio-economic inclusion in the Center, Center-East, North, and Sahel regions.[57] The National Referral Center for Physical Care and Rehabilitation opened in Ouagadougou in May 2021, with a capacity of 150 patients daily. This new center has increased the quality and availability of rehabilitation services, and reduced dependence on the National Orthopedic Center.[58]

The ICRC continued to support the Burkinabé Red Cross and healthcare provision in conflict-affected areas.[59]

Medical care and rehabilitation

HI provided support to the National Orthopedic Center, and six private physical rehabilitation centers in Garango, Koupéla, Ouargaye, Tenkodogo, and Zabré.[60] These centers are all in the Center-East and East regions of Burkina Faso.

The ICRC supported hospitals and healthcare centers in conflict-affected areas, covering the costs of treatment for those most in need. Burkinabé Red Cross volunteers were trained and equipped with first-aid kits by the ICRC.[61]

UNMAS also provided training and equipment to 437 first-aid responders in 2022.[62]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion 

HI supported inclusive education and vocational training, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.^[63] HI also provided mental health and psychosocial support services in the Center-North, North, and Sahel regions.[64]

Policy

Burkina Faso signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified it on 16 September 1998, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999. Burkina Faso was the 40^th country to ratify the treaty, triggering its entry into force six months later. Legislation to enforce the antipersonnel mine prohibition domestically was enacted in 2001.[1]

Burkina Faso occasionally attends meetings of the treaty, most recently the Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November–December 2015. Burkina Faso also attended the Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014. Burkina Faso last submitted an updated Article 7 transparency report in April 2016.

On 5 December 2018, Burkina Faso voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 73/61, promoting universalization and implementation of the convention.[2]

Burkina Faso is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), its Amended Protocol II on landmines, and Protocol V on explosive remnants of war. Burkina Faso is also party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Production, Transfer, Use, and Stockpiling

Burkina Faso has never used, produced, imported, exported, or stockpiled antipersonnel mines, including for training purposes.

In 2022, Burkina Faso received a total of US$2.4 million in international mine action assistance from three donors.[1] This represents an increase of 71% from the $1.4 million received in 2021.

The contributions in 2022 went to capacity-building and risk education activities implemented by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).

International contributions: 2022[2]

Note: N/A=not applicable; N/R=not reported.

Five-year support for mine action

In the five-year period from 2018–2022, international mine action assistance to Burkina Faso totaled approximately $4.6 million.

Summary of international contributions: 2018–2022[3]