Burkina Faso Raises Nearly $800Mln for Counter-Terrorism Fund

The Burkinabe Patriotic Support Fund, established by President Ibrahim Traoré, raised approximately US$795 million between 2023 and 2026, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo announced. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, nearly US$72 million was raised – an increase of 22.65% compared to the same period last year, he stated at the first meeting of the Fund's Orientation Council in Ouagadougou. The results represent a significant overachievement of the Fund's initial objectives. The mobilized funds are earmarked for financing the country's fight against terrorism, Ouédraogo emphasized. Burkina Faso is the world's most terrorism-ridden country, responsible for a quarter of all global extremist attacks and nine of the 20 deadliest attacks. Islamist groups control up to 80% of the territory, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and millions of displacement since 2015. The two dominant groups are JNIM (al-Qaeda-affiliated, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin) and IS-Sahel (Islamic State). JNIM carried out over 500 attacks in 2025 and has recently mobilized reinforcements from Mali. Both target military bases, civilians, and villages, often resulting in massacres and kidnappings. Armed fighters in the Sahel region like these illustrate the threat posed by JNIM and IS-Sahel groups, who travel in pickup trucks. In January/February 2026, JNIM killed at least 38 civilians in villages such as Sollé and Tiao, kidnapped nine women, and burned property. The army responded with counter-offensives, neutralizing hundreds of terrorists and recapturing 600 villages. Nevertheless, the violence is escalating, with coordinated attacks on towns like Djibo and Tiao. Approximately 2,000 civilians die annually at the hands of terrorists, in addition to deaths caused by government forces. The blockades of cities like Djibo since 2020 have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, leading to famine and displacement. Since the 2022 coup led by Ibrahim Traoré, the situation has worsened, with an 87% increase in civilian casualties. Displaced Fulani civilians in camps like Barsalogho illustrate the massive humanitarian consequences of the insurgents.