POLICY PAPER| FES PSCC Burkina Faso: Between strategic autonomy and the imperative of regional cooperation Sanwé Médard Kienou August 2023 INTRODUCTION Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been faced with a security crisis that has claimed numerous civilian and military victims while destroying civilian property and adminis­trative infrastructure. The socio-political crisis of 2014, which led to the overthrow of the Compaoré regime by a popular uprising, may have laid the foundation for the emergence of the current security crisis. The rift within Burkina Faso’s already divided army was accentuated by General Diendéré’s coup attempt in September 2015 and the resistance deployed to counter it. The country’s involvement in the resolution of internal armed conflicts, through the connections between the Compaoré regime and armed groups in Mali in particular, helped foster a sense of security in Burkina Faso regarding such threats. While President Kaboré’s election in November 2015 was quickly accepted by his opponents, his re-election in 2020 was contested by a segment of the political class, although the overwhelming majority of political players would eventually rally behind him. However, the Kaboré regime’s inability to curb the security crisis, combined with economic governance issues regularly denounced in the press, facilitated the coup of January 24, 2022, and the seizure of power by the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration( Mouvement patriotique pour la sauvegarde et la restauration- MPSR), then led by Lieutenant Colonel Damiba. Eight months later, dissension within the MPSR led to the coup of September 30, 2022, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré. These repeated military power grabs have had a negative impact on the Burkinabe army. It has therefore become vital to reorganize the army and heal its internal divisions. The security crisis has spawned a humanitarian crisis and exacerbated community conflicts. The humanitarian crisis is reflected in the high number of internally displaced persons(IDPs): over two million or ten percent of Burkina Faso’s total population according to the National Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation( Conseil National de Secours d’Urgence et de Réhabilitation- CONASUR), an exceptionally high figure. The security crisis has also