Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie: civilian auxiliaries created Jan 2020, mass-recruited (~50,000+) from 2022 under Traoré. Prime JNIM targets; implicated with the BIR in massacres (e.g. Solenzo, Mar 2025). Many VDP posts were overrun in Oct 2026.
Origin: Burkina Faso
Area of operation: Burkina Sahel (Djibo, Oudalan, Dori), Boucle du Mouhoun, Burkina Est (Fada, Arly), Burkina Centre-Nord & Nord
Relationships
- Auxiliary of: Burkina Faso armed forces
- Fights: JNIM
- Fights: ISSP
Referenced by
- Ansarul Islam (Fights)
- Burkina Faso armed forces (Commands)
- JNIM (Fights)
- Koglweogo (Feeds into)