Burkina Faso Struggles to Combat Armed Groups

Burkina Faso's army is crisis in the battle against armed groups. Since 2015, they have grown in number, which has also resulted in issues with surrounding countries. France has used the rise of militancy as an excuse to have a presence in the country. The government has now taken steps to arm the population. This could backfire depending on social and political situations. The more guns and weapons a community has the less secure it will be. Even with the defeat of armed groups, there could be a crime wave or possibly a civil war if the government is not functional. Burkina Faso's army may not be large enough to fight armed groups and they may not have the right training to handle insurgencies. Villages that are located in remote areas face a threat from radical political Islamist armed groups. It cannot be certain if these groups are indigenous or being guided by an external force. When President Blaise Compaore  fell from power in 2014, the country faced destabilization. The law that seeks to arm civilians demands that volunteers not be members of a political party or group. The reasoning could be that political factionalism would only encourage more war or ethnic conflict. Terrorism has become a bigger security issue for the African continent as well as European military intervention.