Burkina Faso citizens express anger towards 'forced military service as a means to penalize opposition to the junta'

An anaesthetist named Arouna Louré in Burkina Faso was forcibly recruited into the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP) as punishment for criticizing the military rulers of the country. Louré was taken from his operating theatre at a hospital in the capital city of Ouagadougou by armed soldiers and transported to a military training camp far away. The VDP was established to combat jihadist violence in Burkina Faso, with hopes of recruiting 50,000 individuals. However, the current military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has failed to fulfill his promise to improve security and restore civilian rule. He has also shifted Burkina Faso's alliances from France to Russia, expelling French diplomats and closing France's military base in the country. Russian troops have allegedly arrived to assist in the fight against jihadists. Louré believes he was targeted for recruitment due to his vocal criticism of the military rulers on social media. Human Rights Watch and other groups have condemned the junta's use of conscription as a means to suppress dissent. Louré's case is not isolated, as numerous activists, journalists, and opposition leaders have also been conscripted. Families have been traumatized by conscription, with some members fleeing the country to avoid being called up. Louré received minimal combat training and was deployed to dangerous areas, but he was fortunate not to engage in direct combat and instead treated illnesses among soldiers. The conscription of some individuals was ruled illegal by a court, but the ruling has been appealed by the junta. Despite his experience, Louré remains optimistic about Burkina Faso's future and continues to speak out on social media, highlighting the need for change and the cost of disagreements in the country.