In January 2023, the Ivorian government provided military equipment to Burkina Faso to support the fight against jihadist groups.
During an exchange with the forces of the Centre-Nord region on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Kaya, Captain Ibrahim Traore gave a straightforward answer to one of the participants on the case of the donation of military equipment from Cote d’Ivoire to Burkina Faso, which was leaked on social networks.
Burkina Faso, a country bordering six states in West Africa, including Cote d’Ivoire, has decided to strengthen its bilateral collaboration with its neighbors and “we have made requests for military missions between these six neighboring countries,” the Burkina News Agency said quoting Captain Ibrahim Traore.
“Some countries like Cote d’Ivoire have proposed joint operations. We approved the idea while pointing out the logistical problem. This is where Cote d’Ivoire has provided military equipment since January 2023 to Burkinabe fighting units installed in Banfora and along the Ivorian border,” Captain Traore explained.
Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of the Transition in Burkina Faso, said that “the donor (referring to the State of Côte d’Ivoire) did not want to communicate. But the most important thing is to rely on ourselves.
The Ivorian government spokesman, Amadou Coulibaly, confirmed on Wednesday March 22, 2023, at the end of a Council of Ministers, the delivery of military equipment by Cote d’Ivoire to Burkina Faso, a border country plagued by terrorism.
“No country can fight terrorism alone. It is an asymmetrical fight that requires great solidarity between countries. It is within this framework that Côte d’Ivoire has done so. And Côte d’Ivoire is fully within its rights to do so since it complies with all the recommendations of the international community,” Mr. Amadou Coulibaly said.
Cote d’Ivoire offered Burkina Faso, in January 2023, military equipment consisting of about 50 pick-up vehicles, 100 Kalashnikovs and 100,000 rounds of ammunition worth more than two billion CFA francs.
AP/fss/abj.APA