In northeastern Ivory Coast, along the border with Burkina Faso, tension has become a permanent reality. The jihadist threat spreading from the Sahel is no longer the only concern. A new danger has emerged: the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland, or VDPs – auxiliary forces supporting the Burkinabé army. FRANCE 24's Julia Guggenheim, Damien Koffi and M'ma Camara report.
Originally formed as self-defence militias to fight terrorism , the VDPs were reportedly responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 civilians in Burkina Faso between 2023 and 2025 – twice as many as those killed by the terrorist groups they were created to fight against, according to Human Rights Watch.
Read more Burkina Faso army, jihadists have killed more than 1,800 civilians since 2023, HRW says
Today, they carry out regular – and sometimes violent – incursions into Ivorian territory along a poorly defined border that is difficult to control.
At a time when political tensions between Burkina Faso's Ibrahim Traoré and Ivory Coast 's Alassane Ouattara are at their highest in years, some of these militias have even gone as far as to claim that certain Ivorian villages actually belong to Burkina Faso.
After several months of negotiations, our team obtained exceptional permission to accompany the Ivorian army along this highly volatile stretch of border.
Read the full article at France 24 (English) →📄Source document: Human Rights Watch Report on Civilian Deaths in Burkina Faso→2 reports
France 24 (English)State / PublicCenter2 days agoThe article discusses tensions along the border between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Specific details about the nature of the conflict, recent events, or statements from officials are not provided in the available text.
Bias read (Center): The summary does not provide enough information to determine any political lean. The article appears to focus on a geopolitical issue but lacks specific framing, sourcing, or commentary that would indicate a particular ideological slant.
France 24 (English)State / PublicCenter2 days ago Tensions rise at Ivory Coast-Burkina Faso borderTensions have escalated along the border between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, with the emergence of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDPs), auxiliary forces supporting the Burkinabé army. Originally formed as self-defense militias to combat terrorism, the VDPs have been linked to the deaths of over 1,200 civilians in Burkina Faso between 2023 and 2025, according to Human Rights Watch. These groups now conduct incursions into Ivorian territory, and some have claimed that certain Ivorian villages belong to Burkina Faso. Political tensions between the leaders of the two countries,
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly favoring any side. It reports on the activities of the VDPs and their impact, citing Human Rights Watch data, while also noting the political tensions between the two nations. There is no clear ideological framing or biased language.
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